The Crimson Cloud
by Carlyle Celati
Summary: Even should they fall in love, wouldn't their star-crossed love be only fated to destroy the each of them anyway? Or would love prove to conquer all? CloudXRosso CHAPTER TEN UP!
1. Chapter One: The Crimson

**Author's Note:** This is my first fanfic so I hope it goes well... Anyway, I love this pair with a passion! You don't see enough of Rosso, let alone this pairing. You just gotta love Rosso's creepy sadism, and she's just so damn hot (in love with a video game character... man i need a life...)! Feel free to leave any comments, or reviews whatsoever (hopefully nice ones), and i hope you enjoy!

Or else...

**Synopsis: **

This is a story of a warrior, with a heart that can see the humanity in even the most savage of beasts. Rosso the Crimson, a former soldier of the fearsome Tsviets, an elite fighting force of the Deepground army is defeated in battle and in a frenzy of shame and anger falls to her own death to keep what little honor she had left. She was a woman who craved battle, and reveled in the blood of her victims, a "sadistic monster" as she had been labeled by her enemies. The battle for Gaia has ended; the threat of Deepground stomped out, the WRO (World Regenesis Organization) victorious… however Cloud, himself a former soldier, is not willing to let the life of this former monster slip from his hands. In a moment of desperation and unbridled love he takes the woman into his care, determined to nurse her to her former health and save her from her demons. But, the world is against her; she cannot be forgiven in the eyes of the people, and as a result Cloud must brave the fight against the world for the woman he comes to love. Question is: will she return that love? Will she learn to let go of her tragic past, and move on? Will she allow him to guide her on the road to recovery and release, or will she, as a result of years of a warped mindset take his life in her _own_ twisted road to redemption? Even should they fall in love, wouldn't their star-crossed love be only fated to destroy the each of them anyway? Or would love prove to conquer all, and leave them the lives each had only dreamed of having?

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><p><span>Chapter One: The Crimson<span>

POV: The Crimson

THERE among the heavens the crimson sat, perched upon her cathedra of twisted metal. Glowing vermillion eyes stared off into the distance, indolently surveying the coming inordinate mass of ironclad beasts. _If only they knew of the kind of beast that waited the deplorable lot of them_; she thought to herself. She languidly sat, her leg crossed over the other, watching the approaching cloud of dust rolling across the wasteland and the specks across the sky. They could send their airships and their troops- it was tantamount to nothing compared to the kind of strength that she held; to the kind of carnage she could bring- the bloodshed she reveled in.

However, as atypical as it may be, considering her usual bloodlust, she would not be participating in that initial clash between Deepground and the WRO; not until a certain individual had chosen to turn up, and she knew he would. She knew he would come; she could sense it; she could always smell a challenge. This was a battle that would determine the fate of Gaia, there was no possible way that the warrior would miss such an epic occurrence. Upon doing her own bit of research into the enigmatic gunslinger, Vincent Valentine, she had stumbled upon him; the blond warrior, a faint glow of mako infusion in those sky blue eyes. He had close ties to Vincent and the director of the WRO, Reeve Tuesti, and after a more thorough search of his files, she found that he, as the leader of a group named AVALANCHE, had defeated the man named Sephiroth. She had never known the terror's frightening power, nor had she even met him face to face. During her rigorous training and the horrifying tests she underwent in Deepground, she had, however heard of "the pride of Shin-Ra's SOLDIER program". The scientists had always talked about how they had to surpass Hojo's paramount creation. She was born as a result of that endeavor. She knew that to defeat such a frightening force was no small feat. Somehow though, this man was able to meet the feat a second time, about a year ago, and this time without the help of his comrades. That meant only one thing: not only is he a powerful warrior, but he just seems to get stronger. _Hmm... just imagine how much he's grown since then... _The scarlet haired woman thought to herself._ I can't wait for the moment when I see his blood splatter across the ground and cake my blade in its crimson liquescence. If he turns out to be as strong as the reports say, I'll try and give him as honorable a death as I can. _

The shrill cry of gunfire, and the deafening sound of explosions snapped her out of her trance. She lazily looked on to see that the front-lines of the WRO's airships had engaged with Deepground's ground troops. _I wonder if he'll actually show…? I'm starting to get bored… _Without warning, a far off hover-car that doubled as a crude mobile missile-turret of the WRO's began with a barrage of missiles toward some of their mechs. Normally such a thing wouldn't even faze her, but some underlying desire told her to look closer. It was then that she saw it: the flash of yellow atop his mighty black iron steed, weaving through the burst of vermilion cauliflowers like a needle through cloth. Ever flowing with his effortless ease, it was poetry in motion to watch the warrior sail through the battle field. He didn't even seem bothered by the explosions and bullets flying all round him. As he neared beneath where the crimson perched, in spite of herself, a small chuckle rose to her throat. _So he actually bothered showing after all…_

Pushing herself off the seat of metal she descended head–first, the wind pushing itself against her visage. The blond warrior looked up to see a flowing form descending from the heavens, headed toward him, in a reprisal of bloodlust. From her back she grabbed her double sided blade, whose crested hilt doubled as a firearm, and extending its winged blades descended to the man, a manic grin upon her face. Letting gravity do most of the work, a burst of energy enveloped and became one with crimson, until she became just a blur of twirling light dancing to the ground below. Colliding with the ground, she rode the blast back into the air. The warrior had done the same, as she looked ahead, ready to strike again. The two warriors eyes locked onto one anothers for a moment as they sailed skyward. The man's face shone with a resilient confidence, a handsome face even the crimson had to admit. _Too bad I'll have to ruin his pretty little face._ Reading each others' movements perfectly, as if they had rehearsed this moment a hundred times over, the man brought the blade behind him, while the crimson twirled around in a moment of pure enjoyment before they brought their blades into connection with each other. A cocoon of raw energy burst forth from the impact of their raw strength, and the two were thrown apart by the intense blast. While whizzing through the air, the crimson regained her poise, and gracefully, back-flipped the rest of the way to the ground. She brought her forward to her prey, who had also landed with graceful ease. Even with that blade as long as he was tall, even with his brutish fighting style, he still retained a sort of grace about him, as if that blade didn't way an ounce. _This will certainly be enthralling… Come attack me darling! No holding back now!_

As if to answer her call, he dashed forward, and she not a millisecond later. Their blades met at the middle of the distance between them, a shrill cry of scraping metal ringing out. The two exchanged blows for a moment, the man always wary of the advantage his opponent held with a double sided blade. She struck forward with potent vigor, her blade coming down in an arc to her left, its edge seeking flesh. Expecting the parry he threw forward, she spun leftward, and brought abound the blade by her right hand only to be blocked once more. She brought the left blade, pointing toward the ground, forward to swipe at his legs, using his blade as a lever. He back-stepped out of the way of its path, and quickly crossed the distance again, bringing his blade to meet hers once more. They stood with their blades interlocked for what felt like an eternity, one always trying to push back the other in a sort of game. The prize for her: blood.

A smirk crept back up her curvaceous lips, as they parted, "So, Cloud Strife… is this the best that you can do darling?" she asked condescendingly in her harsh Romanian accent. A chuckle rose from her throat as she saw him flinch slightly at the sound of his name. "I was expecting more from you."

With a surge of strength, the blond drove forth his blade, sending her flying. He barely had enough time to turn around and parry the woman's strike as she flashed behind him.

"That's more like it!" exhilaration flowing through her veins. Cloud was barely able to dodge a flurry of slashes the crimson bane sent his way. Adrenaline pumped its way through her veins with each swipe of her blade; she couldn't wait until she was able to cut her way through his flesh, and smell that sweet scent of iron she loved so much. With a swift kick to his abdomen, Cloud was sent flying into a concrete slab, but quickly gathered himself expecting another dose of strikes from the woman garbed in red. Instead he saw her standing quite still, speaking to a raven-haired man, her countenance clearly one of disappointment. Anticlimactic…

"What is so important that you need to interrupt me in my moment of turpitude Nero?" she asked, clearly upset.

"Weiss needs you inside the Shin-Ra building. Some WRO pests are trying to find a way into Weiss's lair." the man said coolly, undisturbed by the crimson's anger.

"Hail Weiss…" the woman said almost nonchalantly. Then just as suddenly as he came, the man called Nero was gone with a flash of darkness.

She turned to the blond warrior and her face twisted back to that sinister grin of pure callousness. "Another time then, darling?" she toyed. Then with a flash she was gone as well, leaving Cloud to stare after her in sheer puzzlement.

* * *

><p>Here she stood in the very building that she had been born underneath. It was just a hollow, twisted, empty vestige of its former glory; the Shin-Ra building. <em>Hmm… the way it looks now, fits it. Those Shin-Ra bastards, they got what they deserved. <em>She let out a breathy sigh as she thought inwardly. _Had only they died... My only regret is that I could not have been here to kill them off. To treat them no better than a common mutt, just as they did me._

With a sudden hiss, the door on the wall to her left opened. She need not turn, for she already figured who it was. So she stood tranquil, reveling in the blood about her- the bodies of many a WRO strewn across the floor, lifeless. She need only face the fool in battle once more…

Somehow the man had survived her thrusting a hand through his chest, and now stood before her several yards away. "Ahh… Still alive, I see." the amusement broke through her voice. "And you call yourself human?" Truly, another would have certainly perished from a wound such as the one he had sustained. As strong as he was, though, she found her mind wandering to a certain other fighter…

"More human than you." the red garbed gunslinger stated, untroubled by her implied assertion.

"Huh?" if anything anyone said amused her before- this surely beat it. "More human than I?" She couldn't contain herself any longer, her composure giving way to near giddy laughter. _Hah! The fool!_ Her head was thrown back, and her body shook along with the mirth feeling. "Tell me something I don't already know, darling! I'm a Tsviet!" She bluntly declared, as is that was enough to justify her insanity; and to her, it was.

"I traded away my human weaknesses for power long ago. It is the path I've chosen. And the path I'll tread. Until I've suck all life from this pitiful world!" it was how she truly felt. True she hated Shin-Ra for what they did, but she did not exactly regret having been given such immense power. "And I'm not going to let you get in the way." _In the way of the one I truly wish to do battle with._ "You've lived long enough, Vincent Valentine." She was tired of having to face this unworthy man in battle. She irately said, as she extended the blades of her weapon; "And I'll make sure you don't come back this time, by slicing you into pieces!" the thought of cleaving him apart sent a ripple of shivers up her spine. _Ooh! I like that idea!_

So she set forth, blade swinging, sometimes firing from afar. She wanted this juvenile battle to end quickly, and seek out the blond warrior for what he's worth. It was _his_ blood that she wanted on her body; to shower in its crimson glory.

She kicked the man away, instilling a pause in the action for a moment. "Do you know why they call me 'The Crimson,' darling?" She twirled the blade over her head, handing it over to her dominant hand. "Let me show you!" The two locked themselves into battle, even more heated than before. She had allowed her powers to spill forth into a form of strength she called her 'Bloodburst' form, to end it quickly. After a while, however, it began to dawn on her that her blows were not having their desired effect, and she was dodging a little more than she thought needed. _What's going on?_ _Why is he not dead!_

Next thing she knew, she was lying on the ground in front of the gunslinger_. Impossible…_ "Someone stronger…" she gagged. "than… than…" She couldn't finish the sentence, she couldn't find it in herself to admit to it. She had her dignity to think about, so she stood as best she could. "Absurd…" how could she have lost? "Absurd!" he just stood there perfectly cool and collected with that glib look upon his face. She desperately wanted to cut it off, but she admitted to herself that she would not be able to beat him. Her eyes took on a thoughtful look, she found herself wondering what _he_ would think of her, seeing her like this… she dismissed the thought, lowering her head. "Our time here together is done." she stated bringing her eyes to his. They weren't the same as those deep sky blue eyes… "But the mighty Azul awaits." she turned slowly.

With her last bit of dignity she ran forward onto the pinnacle she would stand upon for her last… "I shall not grant you the pleasure of killing Rosso the Crimson." _If anyone were to kill me, I would've wanted to die by his hand…_ She brought her arm up, her hand glowing with the brilliance of the last reserves of her strength. "No one will ever stand above me!" pouring her entire being into the energy enveloping her had. "No one!" she brought her hand down in front of her, slicing the concrete slab high above the ground. Should she fall, she would most certainly die. _Better to die like this…_ "No one!" the second and third slices followed. "No one!" with that final slash, the concrete rumbled, and groaned as it slowly broke apart from the side of the building. She descended to the void below, laughing her maniacal, yet strangely sensual, laugh all the way; the moon's radiance illuminating her shapely form. _I'll burn this laugh into the back of his skull! I'll haunt his dreams until he meets his end- no forever, even when we meet in hell will I torment him!_

So she plunged to her end…her and her idea of honor…

And her last thought:

If only I could see that bright blue sky once more…


	2. Chapter Two: Can't Let Her Go

**Author's Note: **Hopefully you'll enjoy this next chapter

if anyone's even reading this... :(

This was hard to write for some reason, but its done all the same. Tried my hand at humor in some parts, so I hope it actually amuses to some degree even if it's just a chuckle. Feel feel to leave reviews plz!

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><p><span>Chapter Two: Can't Let Her Go<span>

POV: Cloud Strife

IT had been a week and a half since the end of the battle for the fate of the world. It sure seemed like he and his friends had been having a lot of those in the last several years. Rude's advances toward Tifa had finally won the raven-head over, so they were dating now. Cloud thought it better that he transfer his bed over to his office, so as to let them have their alone time when the taciturn Turk came over. _How many times are we going to have to save this planet_? He chuckled to himself, lying in his bed after a day of sorting out files, receipts and paperwork. _You sure owe me one Gaia! Well, now you owe Vincent one too…_ When he thought about him, his mind derailed to the one that the former Turk had killed. Sure he had lost something dear before, but somehow this was different. He hadn't even known the woman, but for some inexplicable reason, he felt a certain sadness when he heard that Vincent had defeated her. _Maybe its my fault... I could've saved her... Turned her to our cause somehow..._ He shook his head, trying to wave the thought away. _I need to stop blaming myself for every damn thing! She wouldn't have turned, she was loyal to Weiss 'till the end. And from what I heard she took delight in battle, and killing others..._ He justified. The crimson's face flashed through her mind, and he thought of her bloodied form, lifeless... _But... _

With another shake of his head, he pounced off his bed and snatched the keys from his desk. _I need some fresh-air..._ he decided. Denzel, Cloud's adopted son must've heard the heavy thud of Cloud's boots because he ran out to the hallway, throwing open his door in the process.

"Cloud, are you going somewhere?" the dark-brown haired boy asked so innocently; it was so cute.

"Just to get some fresh-air Denzel." he assured the boy.

"Can I come with you?" the boy pleaded.

"Not today, Denzel..." Cloud almost regretted saying that, after seeing the boy's head dip down in momentary gloom. "Don't worry, I promise that I'll make it up to you okay?"

He brought his face to meet Cloud's, and his expression lightened. "Okay."

Cloud walked up to the boy and ruffled his auburn hair, a bright smile betraying how he felt internally.

"I probably don't say this enough, but… I love you Denzel."

The boy felt embarrassed, having his 'father' say this to him, but he made no movement to remove the man's hand. "I love you too Cloud."

"It's about time I got moving." Cloud stated. Denzel went back to his room, while Cloud looked after him, a feeling of sorrow and burden weighing on his soul. He quickly spun on his heel, and briskly walked down the steps, eager to get on his bike and go. Normally, Tifa would've heard him opening the door, and she'd be there in flash inquiring where he was headed. With the start of her new relationship, though, a lot of those old habits of hers had begun to die down. He sort of missed her concern at first; he even felt a little jealous of Rude. Tifa had been his childhood crush, and his feelings for her had started to blossom once more after his last stint of mako addiction in Mideel. They became even greater after they began to live together; they even had some of their own 'special moments' like the one before that fateful battle with Sephiroth. He almost felt betrayed after he learned of hers and Rude's deepening relations. 'After all we went through…' he thought at the time, 'I thought we had something…'

Ever since that battle with Deepground, though, those feelings abruptly vanished. That day when he went into battle; taking up his blade to fight for the planet once more. _It always seems like I have some dramatic change after a major battle…_ it hit him. He briskly walked over to his bike, Fenrir, mounting it with practiced movements. Slipping the key in, and starting the ignition with a clean, fluid movement, he took a deep breath and sped down the back-streets of Edge.

Not so long after, Cloud found himself speeding down the wastelands surrounding Midgar, the only sound was the roar of Fenrir's engine. For some peculiar reason, this ride was having a different effect than Cloud had expected. Normally riding the Fenrir was able to give him a sense freedom, and euphoria; it was just him and that open road. Today, his ride and his own feelings of loneliness only reinforced the intensity of his phantoms. _Why can't I get her out of my head?_

**That fair, creamy, flawless skin...**

"..."

**That mane of shoulder-length carmine hair flowing down the back of her slender neck... **

"..."

**The way she has those two thick locks of hair flowing down either side of her beautiful heart-shaped face...**

"..."

**Those piercing ruby eyes...**

"..."

**Those long shapely legs...**

"..."

**The arch of her back...**

"..."

**The way she stands in those high-heels...**

"Stop..."

**The delightful way she talks with that sexy accent of hers... parting those juicy, red luscious lips...**

"Stop..."

**Hell! She's strong too! One of the few to be able to keep up with you in terms of skill, and do it in style!**

"Enough..."

**And you... you let her die...**

"Stop it."

**It's all your fault, you know? She's gone because of you!**

"Enough!"

**She's dead because you were too weak! Nothing new for you though, huh?**

"Shut up!"

**Just like with a certain woman in pink, huh?**

"Just shut up!"

**And a certain spiky black-haired warrior who gave his life for you while, you just sat back and watched, all drunk on mako!**

"Shut up!"

**IT HURTS, HUH? NOT BEING ABLE TO DO A DAMN THING? ****JUST LIKE A FUCKING PUSSY!**

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!

* * *

><p>When he awoke with a start, the first thing he was aware of was that he was soaked to the bone. His body felt sore all over, and when he tried to lift himself he felt his arms shudder beneath him. He summoned his strength through the fatigue and stood wearily. He realized that he stood too fast once his head started swimming. Stumbling forward, his outstretched hands met the cool surface of an uneven wall of some sorts. Once he gathered his bearings, he set his back against the rock wall with a grunt. Looking back at what he was leaning against he realized that it was the face of a cliff, the top of which was beyond sight.<p>

_I fell from that thing? And survived...? How-? _Then when he thought about it some morehe looked down to see that his pants were ripped at the knees, dry blood crusting the raw skin. He chuckled, in spite of himself. _You were able to get by with skinned-knees then too, huh?_ He had suffered a similar, albeit not as steep, fall before from the mountains by his home-town while he was young. _Wow...! This fall was even bigger than the one at mount Nibel! Perhaps my mako enhancements..._

It hit him like a blot of lightning. He stood their dumbfounded, mouth agape in suddenly realization. _Oh my god!_

**No time to waste…**

* * *

><p>He sped on with great fervor, his mind a jumble of doubts and hopes. Fenrir had a top speed of nearly two-hundred and sixty miles-per-hour, the kind of speed that no man could possibly have a problem with, when they needed to get somewhere. Heck, it was probably the fastest land vehicle on Gaia. If he had ever wanted it to go faster before, though, it was now.<p>

About three-quarters of an hour later, to his great respite, Cloud finally reached his destination, speeding down Kalm's streets with a fierce resolve. The town was still on the road to restoration after Deepground's attack, and lucky enough for him, the man that he wanted to see had volunteered in the effort. After about another ten minutes of searching and inquiring the locals (he thought to himself: he's the one that really stands out…) he figured out which part of town he was, located in. Walking on foot, he at last found the red caped man off in the distance, carrying some wood planks.

Setting off at a quick pace, he called him out. "Vincent!"

POV: Vincent Valentine

"Vincent!" at the sound of his name the man turned, brushing aside a lock of jet-black hair. _Is that who I think it is?_

"Cloud?" the spiky blond before him looked utterly disheveled, with his pants ripped and his eyes sunken and red as if he'd been crying. Only time he had seen Cloud cry was when Aerith was killed. He looked out of breathe (a first) and completely worn. Hell, even his hair looked out of place! _And Cloud's hair is NEVER out of place; not even after a battle._ "You look like you just got done fighting Sephiroth… and lost." Vincent joked, though his voice was kept monotone as always.

Cloud flinched at that name. _Guess he'll never get used to hearing that name…_ "I think I'd be dead if I lost to him Vincent." Cloud stated.

Vincent nearly frowned in indignation; no one ever seemed to get when he was telling a joke. He was just about sick of it, and wouldn't just let it go this time; "It was a joke Cloud…"

"Oh sorry Vince…" Cloud felt like a jack-ass for hurting the man's feelings. Though most nobody else could, Cloud had a knack for recognizing when he was hurt.

"No harm done…" Vincent responded. "…You look like you wanted to see me pretty bad… is something the matter?"

"Yeah… um, Vincent…" Cloud began to falter, beginning to feel awkward now that he was actually faced with him; and the way Vincent just stared at him wasn't helping any.

"Yeah?" Vincent asked, egging him on.

"…" Cloud looses his nerve…

"…" Vincent just stares.

"…"

"…"

"…" Cloud feels like saying something to break the silence, but decides against it…

"…" Vincent just stares…

"…" Cloud had played this moment in his head a million times over, but for some reason he just can't let it out. He feels the question come up his throat… but it gets swallowed up along with some saliva…

"…" Vincent just stares…

(*sigh* guess this is what happens when two enigmatic, reticent warriors meet, huh?)

"You don't have to be scared to talk to me, you know Cloud?" Vincent finally says. "I know I don't talk much… but we're friends aren't we?" He reassured.

Cloud realized that he was right; after all who could he trust to turn to if he couldn't trust his own friends, the people who had fought alongside him, and stuck with him even after finding out about his false life. Besides, if his hunch was correct then he had a responsibility. "Right… so Vincent… I was wondering, about that woman that you had fought…"

_Does he mean…_ "You mean that Tsviet, right?" Vincent inquired.

"Yes…" Cloud responded.

_Why is he asking about her, I wonder?_ "Hmm… Rosso the Crimson. Why do want to know about her?"

"Its… about the day that you fought her…" Cloud began. "You only described it once, but if I remember correctly: she did herself in."

"Yes… that's correct." _What is he trying to get at?_

"How exactly did she do it again?" Cloud wondered.

"She… slashed off a piece of the outside of the building she was standing on, and fell to her doom-"

"So, you never actually saw her die yourself, did you?" Cloud interrupted.

"No… but she couldn't have survived, if that's what you're worried about." Vincent answered, curious as to why Cloud was so interested in this all of a sudden. Cloud had his head down in deep thought.

"Hey, Spiky!" a familiar, booming voice called out from near by. Vincent turned to face the dark-skinned man fast approaching.

"Barret, hello." Vincent greeted.

"Hey Vincent! You sure seem to be lightening up recently." Barret said light-heartedly. "Yo, Cloud you finally decided to get off your lazy ass and help in the relief effort?" He asked chuckling. Cloud didn't even look up from the ground; "Hey! Anyone home?"

"Oh… sorry Barret, I was just- thinking…" Cloud asserted, hoping to quell any suspicions.

"Hmm… I get it now. Guess that's why you been away from home so long. You musta been here helpin' or suthin'. Why we didn't see you before now, I don't know." Barret said, to Cloud's trepidation.

"Away, so long? Its only been a few hours since I left." Cloud assured. "Denzel worries too-"

"A few hours? Cloud- Tifa called me, ya know." Barret interrupted. "Said you been away fer two full days, ya damn foo."

"Two days!" Cloud blurted. Had it really been that long… Vincent noticed Cloud take another thoughtful gaze into the distance.

"Yo! I'm talkin' to you!" Barret bellowed, clearly irritated. "Ya got Tifa worried, so get your ass back home or I'll drag ya there myself!"

"I've got to go! Sorry guys!" Cloud declared, before running off to find Fenrir.

Once he was gone, Barret turned to Vincent, an eyebrow raised. "What was that abou'? Suthin happen to mister personality?" Barret queried.

"I'm not really sure…" Vincent began, still looking at Cloud's figure disappearing into the distance. "He was asking about one of the Tsviets I had defeated though…"

"Why?" Now his interest was piqued.

"Don't know… maybe he's just worried that she's still alive and may pose a threat… or maybe it's something else entirely…" Vincent pondered aloud.

"Like what?" Barret prompted.

"I honestly don't know… thought I had him figured out…" Vincent acknowledged.

* * *

><p>POV: Cloud Strife<p>

Here he was among the rubble and destruction of the once autocratic and oppressive Shin-Ra. He felt a haunting chill creep on him as he scavenged through the ruin of the wrecked grounds; the looming shadow of the Shin-Ra building his only companion. The sun was slowly ebbing into the horizon, and a cold breeze had settled onto the desolation that lay the land bare. _What if this is all for nothing? What if all I find is a body to add insult to injury? _He couldn't bare the thought of seeing the woman's mangled, inert body. He brushed the thought aside and continued on with heightened ardor. No piece of concrete was left unchecked, nor any rock left unturned as he continued on. Doubts began to creep up on him again like a lioness stalking its prey, its canine's of despair ready to bore themselves into his skin at any moment. _What am I doing here? What do I think I can do for her? If I do find her what will my friends think; me helping the enemy?_

A part of him said 'to hell with them' and 'what if she's not the enemy anymore'. _After all… the battle is over… there's no one left to give her orders thanks to Vincent… _From what he heard from Vincent, though, she killed for pleasure. _She'll just go on killing until there's no one left to kill. Does she even deserve to live after all those she's killed… _ He however, didn't have time left to think of anymore reasons not to continue on, because it was at that moment that he had rounded the back of the building and saw a flash of blue.

His blood fermented in an instant. A burst of adrenaline broke him free, the spot he had been rooted to. He was there in an instant, stripping the disfigured body of what little debris that weighed it down. A hand flew to the carotid artery, in a desperate search for any sign of life. He almost fell back in a fit of anguish when he felt nothing. All his hopes, dashed in a matter of- _Wait… a throb… Is she…? She's still alive! _

"Hold on Rosso!" Thepulse was a weak and irregular one, but nonetheless, it was there. It suddenly hit Cloud, how fragile and helpless the woman looked as he gathered her in his arms, pulling her off a beam that had pierced her side. It was such a sharp contrast between the woman he had just fought not more than a fortnight earlier. It appeared as if just about every bone in the woman's body was broken or splintered, her right arm bent at an odd angle. Dry blood stuck to her hair, and face, and Cloud was sure she had suffered a concussion. Her legs were purpled and fractured, probably from bearing the brunt of the impact of the fall.

"You have to pull through… I can save you…" he consoled the unconscious lady, unhesitatingly ripping off the cloth that covered his left leg to wrap around and stem the flow of blood coming from the woman's side. _Now- how to carry her on Fenrir…?_, he thought.

Then it came to him: how could he possibly be able to take care of her. _I'm no doctor…_

...

"This guy is sick. He passed out nearby and someone must have helped him here." she said, indicating the man inside the pipe.

"This is the one… won't you help him?"

"Listen, I'm no doctor." Cloud responded, despite his feeling of pity for the man before him.

"No… I guess not…"

...

He had no experience in this kind of thing, and he might just do more harm than good._ And how could I possibly keep this a secret forever anyway… they'd probably find me eventually- knowing them… _

_Speak of the devil… _Though it was still a large ways away, he knew the sound that he was hearing well: the Shera was headed his way; that whir of propellers and the hum of thrusters was unmistakable. _How did Cid find out…? _

He could've just taken off right then and there, and just avoid the whole lecture all together; after all who could know what other members of the group might be onboard… But he decided against that plan: if he could get Cid on his side, then maybe he could get him to take him to a doctor and he could find out what to do to take care of her. Maybe he could even get the others to support his cause. If he had Cid on his side for this, a whole world of possibilities would open its way for him, with the man and his airship.

Picking up the crimson bridal style he looked off in the direction of the noise, seeing the airship a good ways away. It wouldn't take long for such a beast to near though; it was already slowing down as it came on its final approach. The ships shoulder thrusters swiveled to face the ground, allowing it a smooth descent to the ground below. It was a marvelous sight to behold; Cloud couldn't help but smile at its magnificence. _He always did know how to make an entrance._

After the airship had landed, Cloud waited there until the man he wanted to see had finally come down to meet him. "Cloud!" the other blond cried out as he walked up to meet Cloud. "The hell ya think yur doin' man!"

"How'd you find out where I was Cid?" Cloud demanded.

"Fuck does it matter?" Cid exclaimed. "Barret calls my ass, tellin' me yur spiky ass was actin' all strange. Said you was askin' Vincent 'bout that bitch you got in yur arms right der!" he stated, a reproachful finger pointing down the woman Cloud had in his arms. "Said you mighta been 'fraid she was alive an' still a threat! But, the way I see it- if I dint know any better. I'd say you was plannin' on helpin' that black magic woman!"

"She deserves our help Cid!" Cloud responded, anger flaring.

"Deserves it? Deserves it mah hairy ass!" Cid denunciated. "After all she dun wen' an' did! She deserves nuttin' less then to be put down like a dog! The 'ell ya thinkin' Cloud? She's a monster…"

"Guess I'm a monster too then, huh?" Cloud spat back.

Cid looked taken aback. "Ya know I dint mean it like that, man… even if she dint have dem bastard cells in 'er body…"

"She's a human, Cid! It was Shin-Ra that made her this way…" Cloud began.

"I know that! But, yer makin' a mistake keepin' 'er alive, I'm telling' you! After all she dun-"

"She's human all the same, Cid." Cloud declared, not swerved for a second. " I thought you'd see that. You gave up your dreams because of an act of humanity didn't you?"

"You callin' me soft?" Cid shot out, then softened. "Guess yur righ' though… an' looks like nuttin' I'm sayin' is gonna get through that thick skull a yurs, let alone those damn spikes. Ya got that fierce determination 'bout ya, like yur' bousta fight Sephiroth or suthin'. Always 'mired dat 'bout you."

"Exactly- I'm not giving up that easy. I'm already on this track… ain't no where else but forward for this train." Cloud testified.

"Well I could always derail ya!" Cid said, quick on his feet to keep with Cloud's metaphor. "But yur trains' made of the hardest steel ever… I 'pose I'd lose in a fight 'gainst you… and you look ready ta fight this out 'till the end- even if it means the whole world's 'gainst ya, huh?"

Cloud simply nodded in affirmation. "Cid? Please- can you help me?"

Cid let out a heavy sigh, wondering what he was about to get himself into. "To transport 'er, am I right?" Another nod; another sigh. "Alrigh'! But your fuckin' ass owes me! You's gonna take me to the finest eatin' after this is all over, and imma eat 'till yer wallet's as dry as the desert prison!"

Cloud couldn't suppress a laugh as he and Cid boarded the Shera, the crimson in his arms. "Fine… it's a deal."

"Where we goin' anyway?" Cid requested.

"To see Reeve." Cloud solemnly stated.

* * *

><p>"You have to pull through… I can save you…"<p>

"I don't need your pity!"


	3. Chapter Three: Saving a Life

**Author's Note: **This thing is probably riddled with errors, and plot holes, but I was just so eager to get this out there. Also fixed some errors on chapter one. Describing the lodge was kinda tough, just hope I get the idea across. Well, hope you enjoy! R&R plz!

**Shout Outs: **Thanks Reese Apoc for your reviews and support! You single handedly encouraged me to keep this goin'.

Enjoy peoples!

* * *

><p><span>Chapter Three: Saving a Life<span>

POV: Cloud Strife

CLOUD sat patiently, outside the office as he waited tolerantly for the diagnosis. As soon as Cid had landed, the WRO medical experts had wheeled her off immediately, leaving him the room that she'd be staying in for the time being. Of course the doctors are not supposed to discriminate between patients, but as soon as they figured out who exactly it was they were helping, it took Reeve to come down and settle things. Let's just say they were less than happy to work on a Deepground soldier who had killed a good many of the WRO.

...

"Cloud, you do know who that is don't you?" Reeve asked worriedly.

"Yes I do Reeve… I don't see why it matters." Cloud stated sullenly.

"Rumors are already spreading Cloud… the WRO isn't going to like this…" Reeve explained to the blond before him. "I understand your plight, but I can't speak the same for the others…"

"Everyone deserves a second chance Reeve, or have you forgotten that it was I that contributed to nearly destroying the planet three years ago." Cloud reminded him.

"Yes but you made up for it by defeating that mad-man-"

"Exactly… so give her the chance to right _her_ wrongs…" Cloud stated. If he had to go through this argument a million times, he'd gladly do it for her.

"…hmm… I think you've just convinced me Cloud. You make some valid points… my only hope is that you don't come to regret this later." Reeve empathized, before heading into the office to work with the doctors.

...

It must've been a good hour and half later when Reeve came out to update Cloud on the woman's condition. "How is she? Will she make it?"

"Well- its pretty bad. But I do think that she will survive." Reeve enlightened. "You got her to us just in time, Cloud… how'd you know that she had survived anyway?"

"Well, I just kinda- had a hunch that turned out to be right I guess…" Cloud tried to clarify as simply as possible. He really didn't think it through logically at the time; it was more of a feeling that he had.

"Could you elaborate?" Reeve chuckled at the simplicity of the answer.

"Well… it was about the time, I had awoke from falling off a cliff-" he began.

"You fell off a cliff?"

"Yeah… I was riding Fenrir, and my mind was elsewhere… anyway, I obviously survived, and when I thought about it, I began to wonder if it had been my mako enhancements that helped… when it hit me: that she'd also had her fair share of mako enhancements. In fact, like Sephiroth, she was born with them…"

"So you figured that, her mako enhancements could've helped her survive the fall." Reeve finished.

"Right… and when I talked to Vincent, I figured out that he never actually saw her die himself, so- that's when I came to the conclusion to head to the Shin-Ra building and check."

"Yeah, and I guess that's when Cid went looking for you?" Reeve asked. Cloud nodded, and Reeve changed the subject. "But why is it that the first thought that pops into your head after falling off a cliff is: 'boy I guess that Rosso must have survived her fall too." Reeve said condescendingly.

"That's not how it went Reeve-"

"I have a feeling that there is more to your-" he paused searching for a word. "gallantry, than just 'chivalry'; am I right Cloud?" Reeve accused.

Cloud's countenance shifted to that of ire; "What exactly is it, that you're accusing me of Reeve?" he enunciated the name with mild disdain.

"I'm saying- that as heroic as you're trying to make your actions seem, I believe that there's an underlying selfish motivation to this. To satisfy your own yearning perhaps… Must be a while since you've been able to 'let loose' now that Tifa's with Rude eh?" Reeve stated in a raucous and critical tone.

If looks could kill… Reeve would just have been Omnislashed to pieces. Cloud did not like this side of Reeve; sure it was a touchy topic, but Reeve was taking this too far. "Excuse me Reeve! I wanted to save her because for once, I had that chance! I actually was able to save someone from the brink of death- to make it up to those I hadn't been able to save. I had gotten over their deaths, but I saw this as my chance to relieve myself of that burden for good. I couldn't miss this chance at redemption!"

"I'm sorry Cloud… it wasn't my place… Jeez Cloud, you look like you're about to break a limit-"

"Hell yeah it wasn't your place! I felt guilty… I honestly don't know why… I didn't even know the woman, but when I heard that she was dead, I felt this overwhelming sense of fault on my part. Learning of her death brought back their burden too…" Cloud went on knowing that Reeve knew who he was talking of. "Maybe this was the reason why… Maybe the planet was trying to tell me- maybe _they_ were trying to give me this chance to save a life, like with Denzel…"

Reeve took on a remorseful look, laying a hand on the warriors shoulder. "Sorry… I didn't know you felt so strongly about this…"

"But Rosso… how is she?" Cloud probed.

"Well, she's hurt pretty bad…" Reeve looked over at Cloud; _I want more than that, Reeve…_ "Well… just about every bone in her body has been broken, two ribs have punctured her left lung, and another had poked out of her skin. Her left shoulder has been dislocated, her right arm is broken in multiple places and her legs are probably the worst of all; if it could even get worse… they're terribly fractured all over, and the doctors say that they'll never heal right for her to walk again… it wouldn't matter anyway because the trauma she sustained on her body ruptured the lower half of her spinal cord"

"Jesus…" Cloud fought back tears upon hearing the morbid news.

"Her body is severely bruised all over, and several gashes have become infected. It's a miracle she survived- in fact she would have died had you brought her even a minute later." Reeve further explained to an already mortified Cloud. "Now that I think on it… even if she is still an enemy… I don't think that she'll be able to do much harm in her condition…I'm sorry that I have to leave on such a sour note, but I have to go back and check on her, okay Cloud?" he asked apprehensively.

"Alright- thanks Reeve for your help…" he said, about to break into sobs. "And, please don't tell any of the others about this please…" the man pleaded, to a meek nod by the director.

"The way I see it though… Cloud you shouldn't be sad- you saved a person's life after all." Reeve expressed, trying to lighten the man's mood.

"Question is: will she even want to live such a life as this?" Cloud candidly stated. "She takes pride in her honor and poise- she won't stand living day by day practically a fucking vegetable!"

"But you said it yourself Cloud, everyone deserves a chance at life!" Reeve insisted. "You already convinced me to your side of it, you're not going to convince me to commit any such travesty as euthanasia now! She might not live much longer anyway, so why don't you help her live out the rest of her life in tranquility. Don't you think it's the least you can do?"

* * *

><p>Reeve had given Cloud and Cid a room to stay in for the night while they finished up on Rosso's diagnosis. Cloud sat on the bed absorbed in his thoughts, hands clasped in front of him. Without realizing it he found himself enveloped in a silent prayer- to who? Well to whoever happened to be listening at the time really… he really didn't have any experience in this kind of thing. <em>I-<em>

Suddenly Cid busted into the room with his loud haughty greeting. "HEY SPIKY!" Cloud spared himself a barely audible sigh. "Been awhile since we roomed together huh?" he said reminiscing about their adventure those three years ago. "So watcha doin'?"

"Nothing Cid…" Cloud tried shrugging the man off.

"Nothin'? You're fuckin' brooding man!" Cid grabbed Cloud by the wrist dragging him off the bed and toward the door. "Ya gotta get out and enjoy life while yer young! 'Sides ever since you beat that wacko again you was startin' to lighten up again, can't let ya regress to that broodin' now!"

Cid brought the blond, against his will, to the bar that the temporary headquarters had. As they took their seats, Cid ordered a glass of wine for the two of them; "Ya gotta learn to loosen up man! Have some fun, drink 'till ya drop; it'll take yer mind off things."

Cloud brought the glass timidly to his lips taking a small sip. He had no problem with drinking- hell, he lived in a bar after all; he just didn't do it often. _Maybe this is what I need- maybe Cid's right… If I'm going to give Rosso a life that will make her happy until she… then I've got to loosen up… _"Know what? You're right Cid!" Cid looked over at Cloud a puzzled look plastered on his face. Cloud quickly downed his glass, and called the bartender over. "Gimme the strongest stuff ya got!" Cloud ordered.

Cid stared at him perplexed, then burst into a booming laugh. "Now that's more like it! Same 'ere barkeep!"

* * *

><p><span>POV: The Crimson<span>

A land of perpetual darkness, and nihility. An abysmal abyss of absolute abating proportions. She stood as best she could despite not being able to feel her legs. She could barely feel her entire body for that matter; and with each step she took forward she felt as if she was being crushed. But how could you be crushed be nothingness?- she probably wondered. She could hardly think, for each thought brought with it a searing pain that seemed to constrict her skull in its harsh tendrils of agony. So she tried opening her mouth to say something, anything; to scream and do away with this void of bleakness. She tried gathering every once of mental power her brain could muster, to tell her appendages to move; to break the restraints the darkness had placed upon her- to no avail. _Perhaps this is hell…?_ she forced the thought, despite the effort. It felt as if time had stopped, as well as sped on without her knowing. She wished to reach out and grab it, to have something to hold to and get her through the ordeal. She wanted to do something, anything, even to just think freely… That was when in the depths of her momentary despair, she saw a flicker of light…

The small glow grew to a radiance that swept across her body and filled it with a cool warmth. She felt a miniscule resurgence of strength, that she knew was not enough to get her body to move. Nonetheless it was all she needed to, with one last attempt, force her eyes open. Her vision though, was blurry and the light hurt her eyes. Pulling them shut with a grunt, she suddenly became aware of multiple voices resonating around her. Whatever, or whoever they were- they had her surrounded. She could only make out a few of the utterances:

_Awake…?_

_Alteration in brainwaves!_

_Heart-rate rising…_

_So soon?_

The sensations coming from her back, told her: hard floor, or table of sorts… Then as her eyes cleared and focused she saw it: doctors, masks, syringes, scalpels. A feeling of panic began to mount within her. The deep seeded fear coming to fruition made her blood run cold.

_No! How did I get back here? How am I back in Deepground? I thought they were done with all of this! How did they get me? No, No, NO! _

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

* * *

><p><span>POV: Cloud Strife<span>

It must have been a good few hours later when the duo decided to head back to their room, completely intoxicated at that. "Hah! Cid, your head looks so damn big from this angle!"

"Whatcha talkin' 'bout?" Cid yelled.

"Your head is so fuckin' huge! I mean- its fuckin' humungous!"

Cid looked over at Cloud; "Cloud… you're d-d- Drunk man! Gimme the keys!"

"Wha-?"

"Gimme the keys man! You're drunk!"

"I know- I'm fuckin' wasted!" he slurred the confession.

"Gimme the keys- I'm the- I'm- the driver! You can't drive cause ya drank too much!" Cid accused, though he was clearly just as inebriated.

"Only I use Fenrir!" Cloud bellowed.

"Fuck you! Fuck you man! Imma use it- cause I'm dru- I mean you're drunk!"

"Only I use my sexy!"

"I know you're sexy, but we need to get home!"

"Wha-?"

"We need to g- go home!"

"Before tha'!'

"Wha- you're hair is hot!"

"Thank you man! I work really hard on it…"

"No! I mean its on fire! It spon- spon- spontaneously combust… ed…"

"No it dint! You're a liar Cid, ya know tha'?"

"No, imma sur…ious! It just lit! Stop drop an'- and- what's that word… tsk- tsk- tsk- roll!"

"I wanna find some boobs… and just lay in 'em…

"Where's Tifa when ya need 'er?" Cid agreed.

" I wanna nestle in a pair of 'em and make 'em, mah refuge… just lay in 'em… and… and… fuck I'm wasted…"

Somehow the two managed to make it to their room, and get the door open despite the amount of effort it took. The two took their respective beds to sleep the alcohol off.

* * *

><p>Cid and Cloud met Reeve at his office the next morning to get the latest updates, only to find some astonishing facts.<p>

"Well, last night she actually awoke during one of our exams…" Reeve started off.

"She did?" Cloud was completely astonished to hear that the woman had regained consciousness so soon.

"Yes, we were all surprised; but probably none more so than her…" Reeve continued.

"What do you mean?"

Reeve looked thoughtful, answering after weighing the possibilities. "Well- not only was she virtually immobile, but for someone who went through what she went through to wake up in that room, and find medical instruments lying about, and some sheets covered in blood in the corner- she must've thought that she was back in Deepground again. She went practically hysterical… had she not been in such an immobile state, I'm sure she would've killed one of them. It was a nightmare come true for her…"

"Jeez… so what'd ya do?" Cid asked.

"Well- we put her to sleep temporarily… she probably won't wake again for awhile though…" Reeve responded. "So Cloud you _are_ still planning of taking care of her yourself right?" Cloud gave a diminutive nod. "Well then there are some things that you should know then. But- before I continue… where are you planning on taking her? You aren't planning on keeping her in Edge are you?"

"No… I've already got a place in mind…" Cloud curtly laid out.

A frozen wasteland; a bleak land of fluffy white as far as the eye could see. It was a land of continuous snowfall, a land where only the hardy and the resilient could survive. The same held true for the townspeople that lived in such a desolate land. Lucky for them, as this place is a snowy resort for the adventurous and board fans alike, they are able to get a relatively steady supply of food and the such. Most of it comes from Junon, where it then travels the ocean north to Bone village and then into Icicle Inn. That doesn't take away from the fact that the place, especially in the mountains is a very treacherous and harsh land. Cloud, sitting by the fire within the lodge that he is renting, reminisces about the adventures the team and him had on their first visit here. _I remember them complaining the whole way about the cold and frigidness… wusses… _He chuckles to himself. Cloud, himself found the land a breathtaking sight; the bleak, starkness of the landscape lit by the play of sunlight glinting across the snow. It was like a dazzling sheet of diamonds that lay itself before him, allowing him to marvel in its splendor. _To think- Aerith was born here…_

It was a small, homey lodge on the outskirts of the village (he enjoys privacy after all), erected from the native conifers nearby. A series of stone steps lead through the wooden doorway and into a small squarish hall that led into the rest of the lodge; a coat and shoe rack to the left of the entrance. The staircase leading upstairs extended to the right of the entrance, and upon stepping further in one would find a cozy living area, the focal point being the fireplace on the right wall. A relatively large sofa sat facing the TV in the corner, a coffee table between the two. Another lounge chair off to the right, faced the TV as well, an end table with a lamp on top stood next to it. The left wall, opposite the fireplace held a sliding glass door, a deck leading out to a small field, the end of which was lined by the trees leading into the snowy forest nearby. Leading to the back of the house, a hall separated the living space from the kitchen, a small alcove denoting the pantry on the left wall of the hall. The kitchen itself was composed of nothing more than a stove/oven to the left, a microwave on the back wall and a modest kitchen table filled the rest of the room to the right. Cupboards lined the walls above the stove and, another sliding door at the back of the house led, also, to the field encompassing the lodge. Upon climbing the steps one would find the linen closet straight ahead, and to the left a bedroom facing the back of the lodge, and a full bathroom on the right wall. To Cloud, this place was the perfect little sactuary… so serene, and tranquil…

Inside that bedroom the crimson was lain, an IV hooked to her arm. Cloud, digging inside the linen closet for a quilt, found himself smiling to himself. _I feel lighter… huh… it feels nice, knowing that she's alive because of me…_Picking out a floral patterned cover he walked into the room to place it on top the woman. _Reeve told me that she's healing rapidly, faster than they thought possible- though they did say it will be awhile until she's one hundred percent._ Positioning the cover with care, he stepped back and looked the woman full in the face. Her face certainly held a different impression than the face that he looked into those weeks ago. Her head was bound, an infected cut on the side of her face bandaged, her lips purpled, and her skin a near gray complexion. She seemed so fragile and petite now that he was able to get a good look at her. _She seems so- human… _Cloud shook his head upset with himself. _Of course she's human! That's why you took her in, isn't it? _

Moving over to the bag of medical supplies Reeve's doctors had given to him, he took a slim suitcase-like box, flipping the locks and opening it carefully. With meticulous hands he took one of the vials of iridescent liquid, popping the cap and carefully inserting a syringe into the small opening.

…

"She has to have carefully calculated injections of mako everyday, okay Cloud?" Reeve explicated step by step. "This is very important Cloud; you can't mess this up…"

"When have I ever messed something up before?" Cloud jested, knowing from the look in the man's eye that he wanted to say: 'Well there was that one time that- you almost messed up the entire world with a giant damn meteor! "Don't worry Reeve I'll get this right." Cloud reassured, as he watched Reeve writing down the instructions with a deft hand.

"Her suit has been giving her a constant current of mako into her body 24/7... We decided it's best that she, instead of being given suit, would get daily mako injections- well that's your job now." he mused. "Anyway, you have to measure this out exactly or else, an overdose will make her too dependant; that's what we're trying to stop." Cloud nodded his understanding. "And with too little, her body won't be able to function properly."

"Injection times should be in the morning and at night before bed; though technically she'll be sleeping all day…Anyway- so every three days, as per this sheet," Reeve continued, waving the piece of paper, and then handing it to the blond; "Don't lose that by the way… You are to reduce the amount by what's indicated on that sheet. The plan being: after a month, we'll have ended her mako dependency completely."

"I get it…" Cloud stated thoughtful.

"You sure?"

"Yes, of course."

…

Filling the syringe to the amount indicated on the paper he had on the desk before him, he dexterously slipped all the equipment back into their rightful places. With a sigh he walked over to the sleeping woman, inserting the needle and pushing the piston until the instrument was empty of its luminous product. The woman laid there like a rock through the procedure; to deep asleep to even notice the intrusion into her body. With a another sigh he stuck a band aid he had ready to the sore spot. He then lumbered over to the bathroom, thoroughly cleaning the instrument, also per his instructions. Lifting his head afterward, he found himself looking himself in the mirror, a feeling of pride swelling within him.

* * *

><p><span>POV: The Crimson<span>

A ridiculous dream… the crimson would've thought if she were awake to look back on it, but she was still within that silly dream. Before; all she dreamt of was of battle, blood and gore; of tearing apart human flesh and literally bathing in the ensuing carnage of crimson. Probably nightmares to others, but a sweet lullaby of screams and agony for her. But this dream… this was a life she had never thought of having, nor would've perceived of having in a million years had she been awake. However as strange as it seemed to her- she found an overwhelming sense of security, and well-being as she looked into that bright blue sky she had so desired to see once more…


	4. Chapter Four: Discerning A Feeling

**Author's Note: **Wazzup peoples! Well here's chapter four, rather enjoyed writing it, so I hope you like it. Finished later than expected, but I make up for that with a thousand more words that usual, lol :)

**Shout Outs: **Thanks Reese Apoc for your reviews and support! Always like seein' 'em

Enjoy! R&R!

* * *

><p><span>Chapter Four: Discerning A Feeling<span>

POV: Cloud Strife

THE next five days passed without consequence, Cloud making sure to give Rosso her daily mako injections, having already lowered the dosage once already. It was around ten in this seemingly uneventful night as he took his spot by the fireplace, staring into the crackling embers, allowing himself to drift. _I really hope she'll be alright… Reeve said after their latest diagnosis that she might actually have a chance of living now… _as Cloud was absorbed within his thoughts, his phone rang, causing Cloud to nearly hit the ceiling in surprise. "Damn!" he exclaimed as he grabbed the ringing devil, to see that it was Tifa that was calling him. "Damn… I was trying to hold this off… I'm no good at making up stories." he said aloud scratching the back of head, before finally bringing the phone prudently to his ear.

The man wasn't even able to get a 'hello' out before being pummeled with question after question. "Cloud! Where the hell have you been? Where are you? Why are you doing this again, taking off without telling anybody? You've got Denzel worried sick, when are you coming home?"

"Tifa!" Cloud finally gasped, silencing the woman as he gathered his thoughts trying to assemble a believable account. "Can I get the chance to explain myself?"

"Go ahead…" Tifa let out an exasperated sigh on the other end.

"First off- I didn't exactly take off without a_nybody_ knowing…" Cloud began trying to stall and create enough time to finish off the story he was in the middle of developing. "I told Denzel I was going out… I'm surprised he didn't tell-" he felt a little guilty trying to pin the blame on Denzel.

"What does it matter if he told me or not!" Tifa interrupted.

"Tifa… please. I _had _only planned on taking a small ride, but I got a call from Elmyra." this was it… the beginning of his lie. _I just hope she buys it… God, she had to pick now to suddenly be concerned about me?_

"About what?" Tifa queried, curiously. They hardly ever heard from Elmyra, so it must have been important- Cloud could imagine her thinking.

"Well, I couldn't just deny her…" Cloud stated, trying to circumvent his way around.

"What did she want though?" Tifa asked.

"She needed a package delivered all the way to Rocket Town." Cloud answered.

"Hmm… Rocket Town… that is pretty far away, but how did you get there?" Tifa continued with her inquisition.

"Well I'm not there yet. You see, I decided to get Cid to take me over. But the only way that he'd take me with him was if he could get his 'pit stop' over in Mideel like he likes it. So we're still in Mideel right now and won't be heading out to Rocket Town until tomorrow…" that'll give him even more time on Tifa's watch, rather than just saying he was already there in Rocket Town; giving him another week and at the most.

"Hmm… seems you'll be gone awhile then…" Tifa solemnly stated.

"Why do you care anyway?" Cloud said with a trace of contempt.

"Why wouldn't I care, Cloud?" Tifa asked, honestly confused. "You're my friend… why are you acting this way?" she sounded genuinely concerned…

_She sounds genuine enough… though, I used to believe that we more than friends…_- Cloud thought to himself. "It's nothing… sorry… Can I talk to Denzel?"

Cloud heard the woman call the boy's name in the background. After a few shuffles, Cloud heard the boy's soft-spoken 'hello' on the other line. "Hey Denzel! How's it goin' over there?"

"Fine… Cloud you just told me you were getting fresh air." Denzel half-jokingly said.

"Yeah I know, but something came up…" Cloud consoled, although he wasn't exactly lying; he hadn't expected to fall off a cliff and randomly get some wild far-fetched hunch that turned out to be right.

"So, you'll be back soon right?" Denzel hopefully asked.

"I honestly don't know Denzel… I don't wanna go getting your hopes up… I've got something important to take care of- please understand." Cloud tried his best to break it to the child softly. "Please don't tell Tifa this though, okay?"

"Alright." Denzel huffed.

"I promise that I'll call whenever I can okay?"

"Okay, you better!" Denzel commanded.

"I will, don't worry." Cloud reassured. "And Denzel?"

"Yeah?"

"…Love you." Cloud said despite the awkwardness.

"…Love you too…" Denzel returned, also clearly feeling a bit awkward.

When Cloud heard the dull beep on the other end, he cut the line with a heavy heart. _Poor kid… but right now she needs me more… I hope you understand Denzel._ _And I hope Cid can cover for me on my story…_ then it dawned on him, his slip up. _Shit! What if she gets in touch with Elmyra?_ Cloud decided to drop the worry; resolved to just deal with it when the time eventually came. After all, he had bigger things to worry about; a human sized thing in fact. He simply watched a dull comedy on the television to pass the time; although another might've found this lifestyle a seemingly boring way to live day after day, Cloud was content with himself. _I wonder what's going to happen after she wakes? _Once Cloud was on that subject, he began to wonder; _Hmm… Reeve said it should've only taken a couple days at the most for her to wake, but she hasn't even stirred after five… Weird… but at least her injuries seem to be healing well. It shouldn't be long now… _

He found himself immersed in her within his psyche; every time he tried to think of something else, his mind was right back on the trodden path it found itself pacing forth this past days: Rosso, the ubiquitous woman ever present around his every thought. He had found a sudden inclination to watching the woman sleep at night, actually going to the extent to sequester a chair a few yards from her bedside near the door to gaze at her resting figure. The pitiful woman's languished face brought such a sympathy to his heart, and he found it a grueling struggle to just tear his eyes away the beauty. Once he even found himself awake one morning still in the chair, not having taken his place in his own room.

So instead of sitting by the fire tormenting himself over the thought of her any longer he walked the flight of ghastly creaking steps to the bedroom. The first thing he noticed was actually the time; the time already being eleven at night. "Mako time…" Cloud amused himself; then quickly went to work. By the time it was over he had taken, once more, his place on that chair by her bed, lost within the contours of her comely visage. The only sound was the slight passing of air by the form in the covers. He hadn't even paid attention the time, as it slowly waltzed the enraptured blond by.

As he sat and sat, totally engrossed within her peaceful face he thought: _Wouldn't it be funny if she woke up right now to find me staring at her? _The notion brought a light frothy chuckle to his throat. Then to the great astonishment of the man that sat watching the woman sleep so soundly, lips parted ever so slightly and let out one word that appalled the man. Sure she had spoken in her sleep before, and he was there to hear it; but it was never anything more then utter gibberish or simple small phrases without any meaning on its own. This one simple, barely audible, breathy mumble that those voluptuous lips had let slip, held a rather strange puzzlement for him…

One simple word…

"Cloud…"

* * *

><p>It was high time that Cloud head into town for supplies, two mornings later. Cloud found himself, however absolutely engrossed in what had happened the night before last. He found himself the next day wondering if he could catch the lyric mention of his name once more; the way 'Cloud' just rolled of her tongue put him fully spellbound into hearing it once more. The way she said his name was so unlike the way she had so haughtily said it that day of their momentary battle; and he longed to hear it again. Like a child teased with a fascinating knickknack, he returned to her bedside throughout the day with that single-minded hope.<p>

Today, however, he had business to take care of; staring at sleeping women can wait. So he set off with a husky sigh. Looking over himself he felt a pang of longing… for his clothes. After that fall his clothes had been nearly shredded, so he had worn some clothes Reeve had given him, and picked up some winter gear once he had landed in Icicle Inn. Despite the warmth he felt with his current outer wear, he missed the comfort of his own uniform. Suddenly, he felt silly for worrying about something so trivial. _Well, maybe its things like this that make me normal… to some extent… _

Trudging through the ankle high snow he made his way down to the main village of Icicle Inn going over his mental list of what exactly he needed for the next week or so. After about a twenty minute walk he was surrounded in log homes, some of the chimneys puffing out little balls of smoke. They were certainly smaller but not quite different than his own lodge, and he found the sight of the little village a pleasant nostalgic one, it being such an out of the way and close-knit community. A small girl came sliding down the hill that rolled over to where the 'Welcome to Icicle Inn' sign stood. As she skidded to a halt her delightful laugh ringing in the chilly air she noticed the blond and waved over to him.

"Morning Mr. Strife!" she merrily greeted.

"Morning." Cloud two finger saluted back.

The only real action that happened here was the occasional skier, hiker or tourist who normally stayed at the local hotel. Lucky enough for them, it snowed here year-round, meaning year-round tourists and a pretty good profit for the village. Its why they never had any problems in paying for a supply delivery from Junon, and as Cloud entered the store he noted: _And not a bad selection of assortments either. _As he entered the store, the man at the counter in the front waved to him. Though he hadn't gone into town often, the townspeople picked up on the fact of an outsider quick, especially when they learned a hero of the Jenova War was in their midst...

* * *

><p><span>POV: The Crimson<span>

Awake on a tuft of feathers…

Warmth…

Momentary disillusionment and confusion…

Gathering strength… you separate an aching self from the chains of weariness…

…Only to collapse upon the floor with numb legs…

…**But you continue on because you must be strong**…

With all the strength and will of your upper body you crawl on- braving the descent into the void of oblivion…

Conquering the beast of lassitude…

**You are a fighter, this is below you…**

Nothing can hold you down now…

**You are a warrior, this is nothing compared to what you've overcome before…**

You break away the barrier of despair…

**You are a soldier, you _have_ no fear… **

So you step into the bleak abyss of biting nothingness… and welcome the glow beating upon your back…

**You have nothing left to loose… **

…**And all the more to gain…**

* * *

><p><em>Oh piteous Reaver,<em>

_Venturing down a path wanted by none._

_Doomed to raze thine conscience and _

_Bring unto the world a fate worse that death itself…_

_My pity eternally unto you oh cursed being._

-Vimriam: Book of Prophecies- 'Empathy' Psalm 106

* * *

><p><span>POV: Cloud Strife<span>

Trudging again through snow, Cloud made his way back to the lodge, bags of groceries and supplies in hand. As he closed the front door behind him, he set the bags near the door. Pulling his coat off and setting it on the rack with a sigh, he walked up to the second floor planning to splash his face with some water; he felt so exhausted for some inexplicable reason, even too tired to remove the thick scarf around his neck. As he walked past the crimson's room he stole a glance inside, and stopped in his tracks. He stood there staring inside, dumbfounded; for what lay inside was an absolute appalling sight… or rather a lack thereof. There was nothing but an empty bed, the sheets haphazardly splayed across the floor. "Rosso!" he flew down the steps, as if the devil were at his heels. Peering over into kitchen, he discovered the sliding door thrown open, a chilly breeze blowing through. He rushed outside, feet pounding in the snow following a trail cut into the snow, supposing that Rosso had left it. Like a bolt of lightning he sprinted on, already nearing the forest.

"Rosso!" he cried in anxiety. "Rosso!" luckily the trail was still there in the forest so he weaved though the trees along with it. _Fuck! She's still not a hundred percent! How'd she get so far? Her legs haven't healed fully… did she crawl all the way?-_ the trail clearly wasn't made by foot prints. His eyes widened and he felt his heart quicken in pace as he came across a forlorn sight. A trail of blood had come to intertwine with the trail, the crimson fluid snaking further into the woods. _Oh god! A wound must've reopened! _he rushed on with even greater speed.

"Rosso!" he exclaimed spotting the figure sitting in the snow in the distance, her back propped against a tree.

The woman's scarlet eyes looked up to him, glaring daggers. "You! I should've known…Stay back!" she yelled as he neared. However the determined warrior ignored the command, walking closer. "Come no closer!"

"Your hurt." Cloud declared as he crossed the distance, wondering exactly where the freshly opened wound was. He noticed the woman holding her side, a spot of blood showing through her white shirt; it was the wound she had sustained from being impaled on her side after the fall. "Let me see." he directed, kneeling before the woman reaching a hand out.

"Don't you dare touch me!" she protested.

"I'm only trying to help you… I saved your life after all…" Cloud told the woman.

"I don't care… just let me die, I can't live in shame and dishonor…" Rosso solemnly stated, she almost looked on the verge of tears. "Look at me… I'm supposed to be a Tsviet… an elite! And now… now, I've been reduced to crawling upon the earth like a lowly worm…"

Cloud looked down a grave expression on his face. "A man once taught me of honor and dreams… no matter how twisted and warped your ideas may have been, the fact remains that you fought until the end for your ideals… there is no dishonor in that." he stated as he stood slowly standing to his full height. "And if you truly believe that you have lost it, then you live on to reclaim it."

He stooped low finally noticing the shivers convulsing across her body. He laid a hand to her forehead… _Just what I needed…_ "Thanks… you've gone and made things harder than they need be... I think you've caught a cold…"

He scooped the woman into his muscular arms, despite her flailing efforts. he removed his scarf and proceeded in wrapping and putting pressure to the wound. "How dare you!" she screeched. "I swear I'll kill you! You want me to take back my honor, then that's how I'll meet that end- upon your bloody corpse!" she brought her right fist to his nose, to Cloud's momentary surprise. _What a strong willed woman… she just won't give in… _

It was Rosso's turn at bafflement, when Cloud suddenly threw his head back and cut the air in his booming laughter, unaffected by the act of hostility. It was certainly a strength he thought she wouldn't be capable of at this point, but certainly nothing close to the kind of strength required to take down Cloud… or even any of the others for that matter. _Its been a while since I laughed like that… well not counting being drunk with Cid…_ "Sure, whatever you say… not so sure you'll be accomplish much in your condition though." Cloud berated patronizingly. If she wanted to be harsh and callous, then Cloud was about to show his witty insensitive facade, and throw it all back in her face; a little thing he picked up while taking the role of a certain other spiky headed warrior.

"Don't infuriate me!" Rosso demanded.

"Humph. I'll gladly fight you once more in battle, but if you want even the slightest chance of keeping with me, then you're going to have to suffer through the idea of me taking care of you." Cloud let out.

"Whatever you say, Darling." Rosso said, her attitude taking a dramatic change, a smug smile creeping up those lips. "So you'd help your future murderess regain her strength- only to claim your life?"

"Humph. Tough talk for someone who can't walk." Rosso had a puzzled look at his non sequitur. To her, she hadn't been talking tough, merely stating a fact and asking a purely logical question. Cloud smiled inwardly; he was having way too much fun with this. "From what you say, you're assuming that you'll win. Hah! Good luck with that."

"What a mouth you have," Rosso said, a smirk playing across her face. She buckled and squirmed, but Cloud held fast.

"Please, you have to conserve your energy…" Cloud stated a bit more serious.

She almost seemed to obey at first. _Hmm… surprising…_ Cloud walked in momentary silence finally reaching the end of the woods and heading into the field, the lodge in the distance. "Where are we anyway?" the woman asked, breaking the silence.

At first Cloud debated whether he should tell or not, eventually deciding on the former. "Icicle Inn…" _I wonder if she even knows where that is? _

As if on cue she stated; "That's in the northern continent, no?" She picked up on a small surprised glance, and figured what he had been thinking. "Oh- I get it… humph; just because I had been holed up underground all my life doesn't mean I had absolutely no knowledge of the world above me. We had to be as knowledgeable as we were strong. If Shinra ever was in a tough enough spot to deploy us, we had to have some understanding on geography and the such, especially us Tsviets. Not much use not knowing your terrain…. They always told us: 'knowing your environment is half the battle.' "

Her explanation made complete sense; back then they had to know their environment well also, so as to match the right equipment and materia for there harsh journey. It made him feel like a prick for assuming so much so soon. "Sorry…"

"I don't need your petty apologies! Just don't underestimate me Strife." Rosso demanded.

"Yes, madam." Cloud joked, earning a smirk the woman's lips, as they finally reached the lodge. Climbing the steps and setting her on the bed in silence, he began to think… _So what happens now…? _Then a curiosity came to him, and he began to wonder… "Why _weren't _the Deepground ever deployed?"

"No such need had ever arisen, SOLDIER was always enough for the job… we probably would've been mobilized three years ago, but we had already rebelled by then. That doesn't mean we did absolutely nothing at all, however. It was mostly Weiss and Nero, though, that took care of some real covert operations, stuff that the president didn't even want the Turks involved in…"

"Hmm…" Cloud took the information in, slightly interested in the ways of Shinra back then. It was funny thinking about the prospect of fighting the Deepground back at that time. _Good thing… we might've lost._ "Here, let me take care of that nasty wound of yours." Cloud directed. She obeyed, though with a scowl upon her face. You could tell that she didn't like being ordered about. She lifted her shirt slightly so as to allow Cloud to check it. As Cloud took notice of the slim athletic build to her midsection he felt a heat come to his face, in spite of himself. _Her body is perfect… _he tried to wave the thought away and proceeded in checking her over.

She must've noticed the blush to his countenance; "Am I appealing to you?" Although they hadn't talked to each other much, from what he recounted, her voice had never been so soft, and layered in such a thick velvety seductiveness before.

"What?" Cloud sputtered, caught off guard. _Didn't expect that!_

"Nothing… just hurry up." Rosso redirected the awkwardness, to Cloud's relief. _I'll just go on as if I didn't hear a thing…_

The wound wasn't as deep as he had expected, but it sill wasn't pretty. _At least the bleeding's stopped._ "I may have to stitch this up…"

"Do what you have to." Rosso commented quite nonchalantly.

"Does it hurt? I've got some powerful pain meds they-"

"No!" Rosso screamed. "No-meds… Rosso the Crimson is not so weak as to need some silly unnatural pill to alleviate my pain- I am a warrior."

The woman remained quite stoic and unmoving throughout the procedure as he used antibiotics that the doctors had given him to clean any wounds, and then clumsily passed the suture through her skin. "Well, now that that's done…" Cloud began with a sigh. "Feel any better?"

"…Like I was in any pain to begin with." Rosso impetuously stated.

A frown came to Cloud's face. "Can't you at least give a 'than you'?" Cloud reprimanded.

"I don't give 'thank you's '. Especially for something I could've done myself." Rosso bitterly reproached.

_Geez… is she bipolar or something…? _"Fine… I'll just leave you to yourself now…" Cloud said getting off the edge of the bed and walking out, hearing a muttered 'good riddance' as he walked out.

* * *

><p>About fifty minutes later he came back in with a bowl of soup, prepared for any flak he was to receive.<p>

"What do you want?" the woman was riled by the very sight of the blond.

He simply let the anger bounce off his chest. "Just to bring you some soup…" he spoke so innocently.

"I don't need your pity or your soup! I can survive on my own- I don't need some fool like you to take care of me-"

Cloud rolled his eyes at the woman's bitter diatribe. "Would you just take the damn stuff! You know how much trouble I went through to make this stuff?" he set the plate on the nightstand by the bed; "Do what you want with it then…" he said exasperated with her caustic attitude, not caring how childishly upset he looked as he exited with a pique walk. "So damn ungrateful…" he mumbled just loud enough for her to hear as he walked down the steps. Taking his usual place by the embers of the fireplace, he looked at it deeply with dour eyes. Letting out a rush of air he proceeded to ruminate over the crimson woman. _Guess I should've expected this for her first day awake… guess I just wanted some appreciativeness._

His mind took a rather sharp turn as he began to think about what happened when he was taking care of her wound. _That was pretty awkward… but… _

_Do I find her attractive? _he asked himself. Then came the answer: _Well of course. Who wouldn't? She is pretty… _

**No… I mean do you have feelings for her?**

Cloud began to think on that one; there certainly was a propensity he felt towards the need to protect her, and keep her from harm. _I guess a sort of familial feeling in away…_

**I'm sure it's more than that, isn't it Cloud?**

Cloud was puzzled by that statement. _Is it?_

**You tell me.**

_I… don't know… _he began to mull over how he always felt queasy around the claret-haired woman. He began to think on why he had felt so guilty and sorrowful for her in the first place; of why he always had his mind on her. Of why he loved it when she said his name, and why he always inwardly commented on her beauty. _Why do I do those things? Why can't I get her out of my head?_

**Why else?**

_But I… Do I…?_

**You _do, _don't you?**

_I don't know…_

**Well, sleep on it… and give me an answer in the morning, okay Cloud?**

* * *

><p>Suddenly Cloud awoke with a jolt. <em>Did I, fall asleep? <em>he looked over at the clock on the wall and saw it was ten thirty, already. _Hope Rosso will let me give her her mako…_ Cloud slowly walked up the noisy steps and walked into the room, well guarded. He however didn't get any mocking, scornful comments or insults, to his surprise. _Maybe she's asleep…?_

"I'm awake…" a voice came from beneath the covers. _Can she read minds? _he indiscriminately glanced over to the empty bowl on the nightstand... _Wait… empty? _A smile curled up his lips; of course with the darkness of the room Rosso wouldn't be able to see that. "So, Rosso…?"

"What is it?"

"I have to give you an injection of mako… otherwise without it you'll…" Searching for a euphemism; "Cease to function properly…" the words sounding ridiculous to him as they escaped his mouth. _I think that just made it worse… _Cloud always had a problem with finding the right words…

…

"All right, everyone, let's mosey." Cloud states to the others, somewhat casually.

Cid looks like he's about to bust, throwing his body around in a dramatic manner; "Damn! Again! Stop sayin' it like a wimp! Can't you say 'Move out' or sumthin'?"

Cloud rubs the back of his head, then vehemently gestures with his fist; "Move out!" to the nods of his teammates.

…

"Never heard that way of putting it…" Rosso said thoughtfully, then to Cloud's further surprise; "Whatever… get it over with…"

Cloud had obviously never done the injection while she was awake, and felt somewhat uncomfortable as the woman stared at him throughout the procedure. Once the syringe was emptied, he walked over to the bathroom to wash up the instruments. Suddenly Rosso's voice sounded from her room. "The soup was pretty good…" she said uneasily.

"…Thanks." _Perhaps after all this is over, I'll be just as good as Tifa with cooking and cleaning-_ he chuckled softly, as he an image of him working the bar in Tifa's uniform and Tifa riding Fenrir in his, formed within his head. _That's a scary thought… _

"Why did you save me?" the voice questioned.

"Because-" a knot formed in his throat… _Because I…_

**Tell her you fool!**

Suddenly a deafening roar came from outside, scurrying away any latent notions. _Is that a helicopter?_ It certainly sounded like one. _But why would it come way out here…?_ The lodges' doorbell rang with its melodic tune, and Cloud stiffened. Then swiftly crossing over to his room he threw open his closet door and deftly slung his sword harness to his waist; the one thing he kept from his uniform. The blade was already tucked inside, so Cloud pulled it out as he walked toward the steps. Looking behind him, he put a hand up toward Rosso; "Stay there."

She scowled slightly, but otherwise nodded; so Cloud flew down the flight and walked over to the front door. He moved the curtain way from a rectangular window by it to take a peek outside. Though it was dark, with the help of a relatively bright moon, and a reflective blanket of snow, he was able to make out a helicopter a good distance away. A few figures were stepping outside the hulking beast, and though the wasn't able to make out any faces he was able to make out one telltale insignia.

"Shinra!"

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Ooh! Waz gonna happen now? Dum, dum, dum, dum...

I've added a chapter progress indicator to my profile if you're ever curious to see how the story's going.


	5. Chapter Five: Cutting A Deal

**Author's Note: **Finally done with school and exams so updates should start comin in smoothly. I made this chapter nearly 4k words longer than average to make up for the long wait, sorry again guys. Hope you guys like it.

**Shout Outs: **Thanks Coca-cola for the anon review. Love the support. Thanks to Nerverean, Rashomoun, and

big-serval for favoriting; feel free to drop a review. And I welcome any input or ideas anyone has.

Enjoy!

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><p><span>Chapter Five: Cutting a Deal<span>

POV: The Crimson

UNBEKNOWNST to Cloud at the time, he hadn't been the only one with a head full of hazy confusion. _That pitiful fool doesn't realize what he's done to me… I've been given this second chance at life, and I'm stuck holed up in here being treated like a child… Why must the fates be so cruel?_ She looked dumbly at her unmoving legs, that unknown feeling that she felt in the forest taking a hold of her once more. Her body began to shudder with some kind of force; she felt her mouth run dry, and her eyes burning. Whatever her body was going through it scared the hell out of her. _What's going on? What's wrong with me…?_ She brought a dainty finger to her eye, a clear liquid on the edge. She brought the drop to her tongue, tasting the saltine fluid. It became clear to her what it was now... _Are these tears…? Am I crying…? A Tsviet, shedding tears? I'm a disgrace! _

"An opprobrium to my very existence!" She yelled up to the ceiling in a quivering screech. She did not care anymore who heard, or if the fool came running up the stairs any longer. So she let out a wail like none ever let loose before. "ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" she grabbed the bowl of soup at her side and devoured the warm liquid in seconds, in a moment of feral grief and slipshod anger.

She was quite shocked when no blond warriors came swiftly to her side. _Does no one care of my meaningless existence…? _She shook her head in a moment of acrimony with her self. I _don't need someone to care, to be at my side like I'm a helpless whelp!_ With that she looked once more to her legs in consternation… _But… I am a helpless whelp…_ Suddenly a feeling she had not felt so strongly since her time in her very early days in Deepground stultified her mind, and overtook her with an overwhelming force… Despair… a miserable feeling of a desolate depression of dejection so deep, the tears just spilled forth from her eyes with no obstruction. Her lips quavered as the sensation of utter despondency shrouded her in its cloak of pathos. Impulsively she felt a longing to rip flesh apart yet again… _and there so happens to be a perfectly ripe lump of flesh below me…_ for a moment of pure malevolent maliciousness her eyes seemed to glow a brighter red as her imagination ran wild; thoughts pouring in from every angle: 'the many ways to kill Cloud Strife…'. _That's the Rosso I remember…_ she lauded herself. Then a familiar speech echoed though her mind and she couldn't help but open her lips and let it spill out in its macabre tongue.

"Slashed, strangled, and slaughtered… Beaten, stabbed, and crushed… Garroted and impaled; shot and executed without mercy!" she allowed her voice to cackle on, uncontrollably throwing her head backward. It felt good letting out her inner demon… _now to claim some blood… I don't want to wait until I'm better- I need to kill him now! _

To her trepidation, she found herself thinking back on the dreams she had been having those days she was asleep. Those days were mostly a haze of drifting between a land of dreams, darkness, and a land between dream and reality. There wasn't much she could recollect besides one specific topic that showed itself in a majority of those dreams: Strife… _Why did I dream of him so…? It's not like I dreamt of killing him either… Silly dreams! That's all they are! Nothing more!_

**Are you sure about that?**

"Who's there?" the astonished woman asked of the unknown voice that seemed to resonant from every direction.

**You already know the answer to that… What's it matter anyway? I'm here to help.**

"What the-?" Rosso definitely had no idea who this voice was… "Why would I need your help?"

**You seem in a dark place right now… so confused and lost… I can provide you a sanctuary.**

"I don't need your help!" suddenly, Rosso felt foolish for not only yelling, but conversing with a mysterious voice in the first place.

**Suit yourself… However you'd better decide already, how you feel about that blond in the floor below you…**

" 'Feel'? What do you mean by that?"

I'**m sure even you and your denial can figure that one out…**

"I have no feelings for him." Rosso declared.

**You don't sound so sure of yourself.**

"I don't!"

**Whatever lets you sleep at night…**

With that, the voice was gone, leaving Rosso alone with her thoughts. _I couldn't possibly… I don't even know the meaning of the word… _"I'm an elite, a soldier of Deepground… 'there is no such thing as attachments, except the kind that go on your weapon'." Rosso repeated the saying she'd been taught in her early days as a soldier. Some inner part of her she had not known she even had made a sudden remark. "Absurd! What does that have to do with it?"

…

_But he saved your life didn't he?_

…

Without realizing it Rosso had drifted off into a deep sleep, the strangest of dreams populating her dreamscape. It was a grainy dream that held utterly no meaning whatsoever to her, and so hazy and imperceptible that it was as if watching an old film. The scene that laid itself out before her consisted of an unknown blond who appeared to be a soldier of some kind standing in front of another man sitting on a throne who was identical to the first besides having a different set of clothes, and a head of jet-black hair. The blond although somewhat similar in appearance to the blond she knew, he was definitely not Cloud.

"I don't know how… makes no difference… In fact… work in my favor…" the man with black hair said, despite the grogginess to his speech. "So… are you as the… willing to utterly… and bring the…"

"The world won't… not as twisted… good… stop you…" the blond responded in a baritone. Taking two slim hunks of metal from the holsters at each of his hips, their style seemed somewhat reminiscent of firearms of some sort.

"Fool… doesn't matter… end… myself…" the raven head stood from his throne.

The blonds' hunks of metal suddenly shifted, gears twisting, to reveal a blade-firearm combination of a weapon. He had a loose grip on their curved hilts; they were elegant, deadly, honed, and sharpened tools of destruction.

"No." The blond started, pointing the blade in his left hand at the man before him. "It's you that'll be ended. That, I'll do myself." the first clear statement of the scene.

"Come and try, C-"

The blonds' blade came down like a flash of lightning… and then it was gone; the scene falling away with a burst of light. Next thing she knew, Rosso was upright back in her bed trying to recollect the odd dream that had just taken place. _It was so unclear, and hazy… but it felt so real… Never had a dream like that before…_ Opting to just lie in the bed and allow herself to get lost in her thoughts of the dream, a sudden other thought formed in her head. The image of a certain man in this very house… his deep blue eyes filled the essence of her mind, and soon she thought of nothing else besides… how to get him to bleed. _He'll regret the day he took my honor from me… then I'll hunt that Valentine. Both will have their blood spread across the floor like paint! _

There was a creak in the stairs; she knew it was them, she remembered how noisy they happened to be when she had to crawl down the cursed things. Out from the corner of her eye she saw the silhouette of the man whom she came to loathe more than anything, standing in the doorway. He stood there like a statue, completely unmoving as if wondering what his next move should be. _He better not try anything…_ "I'm awake." she decided to announce before he got the chance to. _What could he possibly want right now?_ She saw a stupid smile spread over his face; she felt liking pouncing on the man then and there, and ripping out throat.

"So Rosso…?"

"What is it?"

"I have to give you an injection of mako… otherwise without it you'll…" she noticed him think hard; though she already knew what he wanted to say. "Cease to function properly…" she rolled her eyes at the ridiculous words as they escaped his mouth. _He'd make a horrible doctor, with that way of putting things…_ It certainly did remind her of something though…

…

**Mako**

A girl of the age seven sits amply upon a table in a white room that appears to be a doctor's office. Many crude tools were strewn about the tables and lined the walls of the room. Across the girl upon the table was a man in a lab coat, with an overall haggard appearance, bushy grey eyebrows furrowed over cold, calculating, bespectacled eyes. He was in the middle of an exam with the patient before him. "You are Rosso, correct?"

"Yes sir." the girl the girl answered enthusiastically.

The man's face seemed to brighten almost instantly, as a pen skimmed across the clipboard in his hand. "It has been a while since your list visit, I almost didn't recognize you… but this is an important checkup for a girl your age. You came from history correct?"

"Yes sir." The giddy girl answered once more.

"Please- you don't have to answer that way all the time with me." The doctor kindly requested.

"Of course, Dr. Tyuschung ." she said, as merry as ever. This man was certainly Rosso's favorite of the doctors, and probably of the grown-ups in general. He was the kindest man that had ever walked the earth, and treated Rosso so nicely. He never lied about when she'd need shots, and he was never the one to give them. It was him that had inspired Rosso to deciding to become a doctor when she does grows up. Besides, he always gave her candy afterwards!

As far as Rosso knew, she attended a special school for gifted children like herself that had to be based underground away from the boring 'normal people'. She obeyed the adults and teachers promptly and with respect as taught to her. However he was different. He treated her as an equal, and respected her opinion, unlike other adults…

After a few more questions, the doctor announced his leave. Moments later, another younger doctor entered the room to give her checkup. It all proceeded just as she expected, even the part where she had to remove her clothing; that was always embarrassing…

"So, Miss Rosso…," she felt funny being call 'Miss'. "As you may already know, in previous checkups you've been getting mako injections to help you survive, but now that you're getting older it will be tough keeping up with your body's natural metabolism, so instead of getting injections, we'll be having you wear a mako suit instead."

Rosso just smiled and nodded; she didn't understand anything other than the fact that she'd have to wear a suit of some kind. _Shouldn't doctors put things in a way that their patients will understand? When I become a doctor, I'll be just like Dr. Tyuschung…_

Later she was given, a sort of uniform, with blue glowing lines coming down the sides. The doctor tried explaining that it was what kept "gifted children", like herself alive. The silly man told her that she'd "cease to function properly" without it.

Poor thing would later discover one heartbreaking little fact: She won't be a doctor when she grows up…

…

A grimace came upon her face hidden under the cover; she didn't like thinking of the past… way too many bad memories… "Never heard that way of putting it…" she lied. "Whatever… get it over with…"

The man must've felt awkward having to do the injections while she was awake, she could tell. All the while, Rosso glared at him with reproachful eyes. _Better not try anything._ She kept a perfectly straight face in front of him, but she felt like bursting into a laugh after that mental command that she's just given him. _Yeah! And what can you do if he does_ _try something? In your condition you couldn't even harm a simple guard hound. I had put my all into that punch earlier and it had absolutely no effect… weak… weak… weak…When did you become so weak…?_

While Cloud went over to wash the syringe, when it was over, Rosso was left wondering what could happen next. _Might as well lead him on…_ "The soup was pretty good…" _Though, that's not exactly a lie, not that bad a cook I'll have to admit... _She heard a meek 'Thank you' in response, and began to think of what she could say next when a thought crossed her mind. "Why did you save me?" Why would a supposed hero of the planet save the enemy? It hadn't crossed her mind until now, and she really began to wonder how in the world did he save her from a fall like that, and why he would do something like that in the first place. _It just makes no logical sense!_

She only heard the beginning of his response; the rest must've been drowned out in a torrent of sound. _What could that be? A helicopter…?_ If it was, whoever was in it was already at the front door, because the doorbell rang out not long after. _Who could it possibly be?_ She saw Cloud quickly cross over to his room and not long later come out with his blade in hand. _Seems he's on edge too..._ he told her to remain where she was, which she nodded to; _How could I possibly go anywhere in this condition?_

Her inner inquiry to who was at the door was soon answered then she heard a simple word, exclaimed by the man now downstairs: "Shinra!" _Why would they be here?_

* * *

><p><span>POV: Cloud Strife<span>

_What the hell is going on? How did they find out where we were? Think I'd even take Tifa over them… maybe..._ He stepped over to the front door and flung it over, his blade flinging out to meet the edge of another weapon with a clash. "Reno."

"Hey Cloud- ol' buddy. Been awhile." The spunky red headed Turk said a smirk playing upon his face.

"Wish it could've been an even longer 'while'." Cloud lazily responded.

"Ouch! That hurts man!" Reno said, touching his right hand to his heart.

"Stop joking around Reno." A commanding voice sounded nearby. _Tseng…_

Cloud looked over to see Tseng trudging over to the lodge, Elena close behind. To their left Rude was wheeling over the man Cloud least wanted to see at the moment: Rufus Shinra. _Looks like the whole gang has shown up at my doorstep…_ Cloud lowered his blade from Reno's electro-mag and looked over to the people now approaching. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Nothing at all Cloud. Just to speak with an old friend is all." Rufus stated, as Cloud stepped aside and allowed the group inside. "This looks like a very comfortable place..." Rude set the men over by the fire place and took position at his side completely stoic as usual. Elena took position nearby, Tseng a place by the sliding doors, and Reno appropriated himself a reclining position on the sofa, his hands behind his head.

"Sure is a nice place ya got here yo!" Reno exclaimed, making himself comfortable.

"Don't get too comfortable." Cloud said to the red-head.

"I believe the proper response should've been: 'Welcome, make yourselves at home guys'!" Reno said. _He just loves ticking me off doesn't he?_

"Reno…" Tseng gave a sigh, hunching over in exasperation; he straightened quickly when Rufus held up a hand in his direction.

"As much as I hate to say this; I agree with Reno. Cloud we are no longer your enemies; I understand what Shinra has done in the past cannot be undone, nor can any such atrocities be rightfully 'made up for'. However, I believe that we have proven ourselves to be interested only in what's best for the planet… in that regard- do we not fight for the same thing Cloud? Can we at least come to a mutual agreement on a certain amount of comradery? I am not asking that we be close friends… only that we put our differences aside and work together in this Cloud."

Cloud did have to admit that Rufus had shown a more humanitarian ideal when he 'joined' him in his fight against Sephiroth and the remnants, and in how he funded the WRO in their cause. However, there was still apart of him that couldn't accept the fact of having anything to do with something 'Shinra related'; let alone call them comrades. Despite those feelings, Cloud gave a single timid nod. He could almost feel the tension of the place lighten and everyone's countenance relax.

"So I could call you buddy now yo?" Reno spoke up.

"Now that's pushing it." Cloud joked; _Whoa! I'm joking with Shinra? What's with me?_

"Eh, you'll come around eventually…" Reno said.

"So what is it you came here for? I'm sure it wasn't to make a new friend…" Cloud inquired.

"As much as I'd like to say that _was_ the case- I'll have to admit that you're right… But, I'm sure you already know what we're here for." Rufus replied.

Cloud nearly winced; he was afraid of that. He _did_ have a feeling he knew what they came for but he was still holding onto (until just a second ago…) some hope that they hadn't come here for _that._ "How do you know about that?"

This time Tseng spoke up; "We're Turks- remember?" That didn't exactly answer his question, but he supposed that they wouldn't be giving out anything other than that.

"What do you want with her?" Cloud questioned.

"Only to make sure that the woman is not a threat." Rufus responded.

"She _isn't_ a threat, okay!" _How many times am I gonna have to go through this…?_

"Well we can't be so sure of that, now can we? There _is_ more at stake here than just her, Cloud. If she still has evil intentions then it could mean the lives of countless innocents. You need to start thinking of the bigger picture here." Tseng spoke.

"Yeah like you guys ever thought of the bigger picture…" Cloud berated.

"We've already accepted the responsibility for our actions… but right now we have bigger prob-"

"Rosso is no problem." Cloud cut him off. "How can you come here, placing your judgment on someone else who's just been given another chance? You were given another chance Rufus; do you think you deserved it? No- but look at what you've been able to accomplished with it. Give _her_ a chance… maybe she survived for a reason…"

Cloud had obviously throw Rufus with his bit of subtle praise, though he knew he was only trying to flatter him. "…I had a feeling it'd come to this…" Rufus began, clearly accepting defeat on the matter. "Let's make a deal Cloud."

"What kind of deal?" he asked somewhat interested.

"I'll accept you to continue helping her through her healing process..." _Like I need your permission_- Cloud thought. "In exchange you allow us to remain here and oversee her recovery. If we deem her a viable citizen then we'll leave and never bother you again."

Cloud was surprised at this demand. "For how long?"

"How about- let's say three weeks."

His first instinct was to yell out a 'hell no!' but just as with what happened with Cid, he thought that going along with it would ultimately be the better plan. Why? Well, because of the fact that if he could convince the Shinra, then it would put an end once and for all the question of Rosso's enmity or lack thereof. "Fine."

Though they tried their best to hide their surprise, each one of the Shinra officials in the room seemed to be boring holes in his skull with their stares. _Guess they hadn't expected it to be so easy… but I have my reasons for conceding… though… _"So if she passes your little test, you'll leave her alone right?"

"Of course."

That solidified Cloud's decision, though he still didn't entirely trust Shinra. "I'll accept… On one condition however…"

"And what would that condition be?" Rufus asked.

"That your lapdogs leave their toys with me." Cloud said in an emotionless tone. "And don't even pretend that none of you brought one; I've already seen Reno's."

He felt the tension creep into the air as each of the Turks visibly stiffened (well... more so than usual). Rufus gave a near-imperceptible nod and each of the Turks laid their firearms one by one on the coffee table; even Reno and Rude who used their rod and fists respectively had brought firearms. _They must've been __told to prepare themselves for fighting a powerful target… _he thought, knowing full well that target was Rosso, and perhaps still is... _No one seems to look at her as human… It really is sad…_

"You're lucky I have extra living space up in the attic and the basement." Cloud said serious.

"We won't get in the way." Rufus calmly stated matter-of-factly.

Reno got up from the couch with a bright smile and sauntered over to Cloud, his hands still behind his head. "So… Guess we're roommates now, huh buddy?" his arm came about Cloud about to give him a brotherly hug.

"Touch me, and I'll rip your arm off." Cloud condemned.

Reno awkwardly lifted his arm from where it floated a few centimeters above Cloud's shoulder with a look of apprehensiveness. He gave a wincing noise from his mouth and put on the best hurt face he could. "Awww geez Cloud why ya gotta be so mean to yur buddy man? I'll get through to ya eventually."

"Don't count on it…" Cloud responded lazily. "I'll be back." Cloud called out as he walked up the stairs and crossed over to Rosso's room.

"I heard everything." Rosso stated when Cloud opened his mouth to speak. He was about to ask _how_ she heard, when he remembered: enhanced senses as result of mako treatments, duh! "So those Shinra bastards came to kill me did they?"

"No, besides didn't you hear the deal we made?" he had to get rid of these hostile feelings of hers; else Shinra would have a reason to take her. Which got him thinking: What were they planning to with her? Imprison her… or _were_ they going to kill her? Of course he would never express this thought to her- the less reasons there were for her to become violent the better.

"It's no better than being prisoner." She expressed.

_Damn…_ "Please Rosso… if we can just do this, you'll be off the hook for good." He pleaded.

"Why the hell do you care what happens to me?" Rosso demanded.

"Because I didn't save your life just so you can go back with the Shinra. Besides since when did someone need a reason to help a person?"

She was caught completely off guard, and Cloud knew it. "Whatever…" she finally responded. Without warning she broke into a coughing fit, her entire body thrown forward with the force.

Cloud bolted over to her side in a second. "Are you alright? Do you need a glass of water?"

The woman slapped off the hand that rested upon her shoulder. "Haven't I told you before not to touch me?" she bluntly stated, before another spasm of coughs set in.

"Looks like that cold of yours has upgraded to the cough and sniffle phase…"

"Do I really need you to tell me that?"

"Is she sick?" a sudden inquiry came from behind.

Cloud turned his head to look at Tseng who was standing in the doorway. _Funny… I didn't even hear him come up the steps… _"It's just the common cold, nothing big." Cloud said. For all he knew it could be something bigger, but he couldn't let the Turk know that. On the outside, their little stay at the lodge was a test to see if Rosso could function properly in the real world without killing a person every minute. However, Cloud was no dummy, he could fit the puzzle pieces together. It took a special kind of calculating mind to be such a combat strategist like he was after all. Being the Materia expert of the group, he always knew what combinations were best for future battles. He remembered that day he tried to teach Barret about Materia…

…

Cloud, ready to head out to the station, get the mission done with, and collect his pay is stopped by the leader of AVALANCHE with an urgent question.

"Yo! Cloud!" Barret calls out to the spiky haired warrior. "Before the next mission, I got somethin' I wanna ask you! I, uh,... I don't really know how to use Materia! I'll give you that Materia you found. Just teach me how to use it!"

Cloud let out an exasperated sigh. Although, there were simple low-level Materia sold to the general public, few actually knew how to use them properly, using them only as last resorts. It was mostly only Shinra soldiers that knew how to use Materia extensively and practically. Even then some only managed to light their fellow soldiers' ass on fire. Cloud knew that, but then he thought: _How could they possibly think of taking down Shinra without knowing how to use Materia, that's suicide, especially if Shinra mobilizes SOLDIER against them… I might as well before this guy gets himself killed…_

Cloud finally answers. "Sure. I'll explain how Materia works. Now look at my weapon here." Cloud grabs the Buster Sword from his back and points to one of two circular slots near the hand-guard. Just about every weapon, armor, or piece of equipment nowadays has slots in it. Choose which slot you want to put Materia in, and pick out the Materia you want to use. This Materia I found back at the reactor," Cloud holds up a shiny green orb, "This is Restore, a curative Materia. If you want to know what a Materia's effect is…" Cloud tosses over the Materia to Barret. "Clear your mind and try to focus on the Materia in your hands. Try to extend your awareness into it… so to speak…"

Barret raised an eyebrow looking at him like he was crazy. "Just try..." Cloud commanded, as the man slipped the orb into the slot on his gun-arm. It was quite funny watching the man's face scrunch up in determined concentration, eyes narrowed, staring into the depths of the orb trying to will it to work its magic (hehe…). "Sense anything?"

The man didn't even answer for a good minute, when suddenly his face lit up in surprise like a child's. "…yes… Yeah! Yeah I think I do! I feel kinda warm…"

"That's Cure Magic." Cloud stated. "Here let's test it…"

"Test it?" Barret barely got the question out before Cloud had walked over to the bar and grabbed a rather large knife and made a shallow cut across his forearm. "What the hell…?" Barret exclaimed along with Tifa and Marlene's horrified gasps; Cloud didn't even wince.

"Now try it." Cloud commanded. "Concentrate real hard and send those thoughts of healing in my direction."

It took a rather excruciatingly long ten minutes of standing and staring before the orb began to glow a brilliant green, and an aura of energy surrounded the man. The light danced over to Cloud washing over him in its cloak of light. The flow of blood stopped first, and then the skin began to knit together until all that remained was slightly reddish skin surrounding the area where the wound used to be and some dry blood.

"That's all there is to equipping Materia. See? It wasn't that tough! There's just one thing you have to be careful of. Whenever you equip Materia, your situation will change. Parts of you may become stronger... while others get weaker. Normally, when you equip Magic Materia, like Fire or Ice, your magic power will get stronger. You'll find it easier to cast magic, and the spells become more powerful the more you equip, but your physical strength weakens along with it. So, Materia's kind of a double-edged sword. It's wise not to overuse Magic Materia, but try out various things. Try and find a combination that suits you as well as the terrain for the battles you may encounter. Ok, well that's just about it. I'll give you some advanced tips later."

"Shi...! What's this 'It wasn't that tough' crap! I'm clueless… Well, you handle the Materia then!" Barret exclaimed before running out of the bar.

Cloud let out another exasperated sigh. _What a waste of breath… and blood…_

…

Anyway, Cloud knew that just as much as this was a test for Rosso; it was for Cloud as well. They'd probably find a reason to take her away if they deemed Cloud not responsible enough to take care of the woman before him. Cloud needed to work just as hard at playing the role of caretaker (which he was doing before they showed up anyway), as Rosso needed to work on being a model citizen for society.

"You sure she'll be okay?" Tseng asked.

"Yeah, it's just a simple cold; she'll be fine in a week or so." Cloud answered. "Probably after a few days, considering her mako enhancements."

"Mako enhancements also improves the immune system?" Tseng inquired, honestly curious.

"Yeah… it can work against us sometimes though…" Cloud began to explain. "Our bodies can reject a lot of medicines, even blood transfusions, prosthetic limbs, and organ donations. Really the only thing we have to rely on is Materia and specially made antibiotics to deal with serious injuries. It's part of the reason why all SOLDIERS were properly trained with restorative spells."

"You know quite a bit about SOLDIER though you never made it in." Tseng observed.

"Well, I learned quite a bit about SOLDIER from an old friend of mine who was in SOLDIER, and back then I was quite the fanboy…" Cloud explained blushing slightly. "The thing about the body rejecting medicines I learned from experience. I once had a horrible migraine and no drug Tifa gave me had any effect…" _Why I talking this way to a Turk? _Cloud wondered.

Cloud received a 'hmm' from the man before he turned around and descended the stairs… quite inconspicuously at that. _How does he do that? It's as if he knows what part of the step will creak and what won't… Damn creepy…_ Once Cloud was sure he was downstairs, Cloud turned back to the woman lying in bed. "Please Rosso, try and behave yourself."

"Hmph!" the woman glowered at him, her eyes seeming to alight on fire.

Cloud let out a sigh looking at the floor rather tired with all the recent events. He took one last look at the red-head before returning downstairs and helping the new roommates to their rooms. Tseng and Rufus took up their residence in the basement (They had installed a 'quick-install' ramp for Rufus), and Reno and Rude in the attic. Cloud gave Elena his own room for her, deciding to move his stuff to the other side of Rosso's room and take up a resting place on the floor at the foot of the bed. He had quite the aggravating encounter with the woman for that.

* * *

><p>It was about one twenty at night, and Cloud desperately wanted to go to bed what with all the crap that happened earlier that day. As he walked over to the room ready to lay upon his makeshift cot of blankets on the floor he was stopped by a question he thought he'd never have to answer by the person he least thought would ask it in this place.<p>

"So if you were never SOLDIER like that man said, then how come you have the mark of one?"

"Mark?" Cloud played dumb.

"The Mako eyes." she said agitated.

"I don't feel like talking about it…" Cloud tried to shove it away.

"Humph, 'don't feel like talking about it', some hospitality that is…" Rosso said impetuously. "The way I'm being treated in this place it I really don't feel like 'behaving myself' right now." Rosso said clearly trying to elicit a response out of the blond.

"I don't feel like going through this right now…" Cloud spat, shocking the woman, though she hid it under a mask of acrimony.

"This sure doesn't seem like the Cloud from earlier today…" she simply stated as the warrior walked over to the foot of the bed.

_If she hates me so much, why the hell is she trying to get a story out of me? Ridiculous… I don't feel like drudging up the past right now and having to explain everything… _Cloud slowly lowered himself onto the blankets, turning his body over as he lay down to face the ceiling. He stared into the circular patterns for a good minute or so before reaching over and pulling the covers over to cover his body. He closed his eyes and allowed his breathing to slow, trying to force his way through the gates of dreamland, to utterly no avail. His mind was much too active right now to just shut-down.

"I'll tell you my story if you tell me yours…" a sudden statement broke the silence (not entirely silent with the sporadic coughing fits here and there).

This piqued Cloud's curiosity, he certainly _did_ want to know what went on down in Deepground to make her such a cold-hearted murderess. Although he already had an idea how (probably scientist and experiments… you know the usual…), it certainly meant more coming from her. _Maybe talking about it and getting it out will take my mind off it… and this may be a chance to get to know her and become closer... maybe then she'll listen to my request._ Cloud sat up from his spot on the floor so Rosso could see his face from where he was sitting."…Whatever…Fine."

"Don't have to be so Goddamn glum about."

"Ugh… where do I start...?" Cloud sifted through his memories trying to decide what was important, what wasn't, what he wanted to say, and what he didn't. "Well, as you already know, I never made it into SOLDIER, I only ever made it as far as being some regular ol' Shinra grunt."

"Someone as strong as you?" Rosso asked aloud, sounding honestly surprised. "I would've thought that youd've at least went pretty far up the chain at least in the regular army."

Cloud brought the arm that had been resting upon the bed, holding himself up, to scratch the back of his head. Even to this day he still felt a bit of shame talking about his weakness back then. "Well… let's just leave it at 'I wasn't always this strong'…Well I'd tell you my whole life story, but I could probably trace it all back to one event… the Nibelheim Incident…" Cloud mulled over.

"Hmm… I remember when I had been to Nibelheim… such a dreary little village. I remember, during my research, I found something about a fake version having been put together. I didn't delve too deep into that part though."

"Yeah, and my story will explain all that happened. So I had been given a special mission to inspect a malfunctioning mako reactor in some remote village. I'm not really sure why, but must've been a high priority mission to send a SOLDIER 1st along with _the _General himself." referring to Sephiroth. "Well I guess you can only imagine my surprise when I found out that I'd be heading out to my hometown."

"That's right… I remember the reports said that was your hometown."

"And I was so ecstatic to have the honor of working with the great General Sephiroth; he really was my idol back then…" Cloud felt suddenly funny talking about his hated enemy that way. Now that he was thinking about him, he realized there was something more than hate toward the man, something that he couldn't quite place… "However I couldn't exactly enjoy my elation when I had learned that I was going back home."

"Why's that?" the woman ventured.

"Shame…" Cloud put simply. "I left telling everyone I was joining SOLDIER- that I was gonna be the best there ever was. I had even made a promise with a childhood friend that I would come to her rescue if she ever was in a bind once I became famous."

The scarlet-haired woman 'hmm'-ed in response, knowing all too well the despair shame could bring with it.

"Well I'll stop with my life story and get on to what you wanted to know." Cloud continued with his story, recounting the events to the best his memory could provide, the only interruption was the few coughs and sniffles from the woman in the bed. she understood well, connected the dots He went on to describe their visit into Mount Nibel, and the reactor and what lied therein, of which he got a simple 'why am I not surprised?' look.

"Shinra was creating monsters within the reactor, a result of one of Hojo's discoveries. Like Sephiroth had told Zack, regular SOLDIER operatives are showered with a far less concentration than the men in those pods; they were exposed to the point of mutation. Zack then pointed out that Sephiroth had said 'ordinary SOLDIERS'. Then, that's when he began to doubt his own humanity, and Genesis, another SOLDIER 1st, telling him that his 'mother' Jenova was only a monster did not help the situation at all. It had all taken a nasty affect on his state of mind. He locked himself up inside Shinra mansion reading all he could in the basement library like he was possessed, and never once did the light go out… When he read all he could he, he took on the belief that he was a Cetra and the rightful ruler of the planet, hating all humans for their supposed betrayal. He burned my village to the ground, and killed my mother and the other townspeople. Both Tifa and Zack tried to fight him but they both had failed. I in a moment of grief and anger severely wounded him from behind with Zack's blade. I figured it was the only way to take him down… When he ran me through with the Masamune, I gathered what strength I had, and used the blade as a lever to throw him into the mako below. When it was all over, Zack and I were taken as Hojo's lab rats, where I had been exposed to mako to the point of mako addiction poisoning. He was trying to replicate Sephiroth's success with us, though we both were was labeled a failure. So that's basically how I got my enhancements… and as for the village, Hojo had been put in charge of the cover-up: creating the fake Nibelheim that we know today." Cloud finished the simplified version of the story, while putting emphasis on the important parts.

"…What an interesting story." Rosso could only comment. "So you were just an experiment as well…"

Cloud remained silent for a while, until he turned to Rosso, "So what's your story?"

"I don't feel like talking about it…" the woman mirrored Cloud's earlier response, turning over in the bed so that all Cloud could see was the back of her head.

"Hey! We had a deal!" Cloud angrily shouted.

"Three things darling… One: we never shook hands on it… Two: I never specified that I'd tell my story _directly_ after yours, I just agreed to tell it _after_ yours- how long after was up to me…"

"And three?"

"I don't have to listen to you, of course."

Cloud gave a quiet and belated sigh, laying back down into the comfort of the blankets when the woman stated something else.

"That doesn't mean I _won't_ tell it though… I'll tell- eventually."

"Looking forward to it." Was all Cloud said as he closed his eyes once more in another attempt to go to the dream realm. As he lay thinking on the account he had just told, it was then he realized what that other emotion he had felt toward Sephiroth was. He also realized that he had already told the man how he felt about him already: _Sephiroth… I pity you…truly… Who could say I wouldn't have done the same had I been in your position. Just glad I wasn't… Really it was Hojo and Shinra's fault more than anything, though it doesn't exactly justify what you tried to do._

…

"Sephiroth! I pity you…" Cloud stated as he rose skyward preparing to end it with his new found strength and the limit he trained himself to break. "You just don't get it at all! There's not a thing I don't cherish!" in other words: there was too much he had in this world at steak to give it all up. He loved too much to let Sephiroth take it all away. It was inside all he had to fight for that he found his strength.

...

Now I have one more thing that I cherish…

One more thing to give me strength…

I'll never let anything happen to you…

I promise...

Rosso…

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Updated my profile, so the chapter progress indicator is back up as well. I'd also like any input I have to another story I'm thinking of writing. And don't worry it won't affect updating this story, this story always takes precedence.

**New Story: **I'm not entirely sure if i'm going to go through with it yet, but basically it will be a gender-bender fic on the Cloud-Tifa-Aerith love triangle where Tifa and Aerith (both men), are fighting for the love of Cloud Strife, a bonafide woman right down to her... okay i'll stop right there... Anyway, tell me what you think (if anyone is even freakin' reading this...). By the way, i know what you're thinking, and yes... yes... i am sick... MUAHAHAHAHA! Visit my profile and scroll down till you see 'Projects' for more details. It's the one titled 'Undecided' and has a link to my inspiration for this idea. Again, Crimson Cloud always comes first though.


	6. Chapter Six: Anxious Heart

**Author's Note: **I was just on a roll with this chapter! So here's chapter six, much earlier than I thought i was going to have it out. Don't get used to this though, never know what might happen.

**Shout Outs: **Thanks Shadow of Intent for the awesome review and the story alert. Thanks ReplicaRiku'sgirl for author alerting me. You guys are awesome!

**Updates: **I made a few adjustments to chapter five. After I had posted it, I realized a things: One, Rufus is in a wheelchair it wouldn't make any sense to have him sleeping in the attic! So I moved him and Tseng to the basement, and Reno and Rude to the attic. Two, some strange phenomena had stricken the website and my computer. There was supposed to be an original character named Dr. Tyuschung for Rosso's past story described in the flash-back labeled **Mako**. For some unexplained reason every time his name was mentioned, it was deleted. At first I thought it was me, but when I went to fix it, I'd get the same result each time, so that has also been fixed.

**Warning: **Demeaning comments (Reno). Slight kinkiness, nothing too big.

Enjoy everyboday!

* * *

><p><span>Chapter Six: Anxious Heart<span>

POV: Cloud Strife

_How long must the suffering _

_Go on…?_

_How long can you hide your hurt?_

_How long can you bare this burden?_

_How long will your strength hold out?_

_How long do you think you can keep up this façade?_

_I've seen you on the edge of_

_Despair…_

_I wish to reach out and grasp your hand…_

_I wish to show you that you are not alone in this miserable world…_

_How long must the suffering_

_Go on…?_

_You stare down into the valley of death, and I know you wish for its sweet embrace…_

_I wish to tell you not to jump, but my voice can't break the choking silence…_

_I wish to tell you not to give in, but how can I possibly claim to understand your pain?_

_How long must your suffering go on?_

_It seems as if you've changed your mind, but then I realize you just want to get a running Start…_

_You are so fast, I don't have the time to yell even if I could…_

_As you fall through the sky you must be thinking on how you made the right decision- Your face looks so peaceful, as the wind brushes against your face… _

_As the ground rushes forth to meet you in its embrace…_

_Every night is the same dream, watching you fall as I lose myself in the misery of my Failure…_

_How long must my suffering go on?_

_I'm haunted by your face…_

_I'm haunted by your tears…_

_I'm haunted by your voice…_

_I'm haunted by your own realization…_

_Ten years later and you're still waiting for the impact of the fall_

…_How long must we continue to _

_Suffer…?_

-Lenriaj: Book of Reminiscence:: Compilation of Memoirs-

Poem entitled 'Suffering'

Author: Ayane_

* * *

><p>Cloud was sitting in his normal place by the fireplace, enjoying his current book, lost within its pages. Placing a bookmark into the notch of the book he placed it down upon the coffee table with a sigh. He began to think about Rosso suddenly; she seemed to have taken heed of his plea: her behavior, even behind closed doors seemed to have taken a dramatic change in just a day. No longer were there any crude, smart, or vile remarks to fall upon his ears as he walked into the room each day to give her the mako injections. Cloud couldn't quite figure what had changed the woman so suddenly. <em>Is she really listening to me? Is she just putting up a front? Or has she really, sincerely changed at heart…? I thought at first that she might be faking it in front of Shinra, but even with me, her attitude has taken a complete shift. I just don't get her… Maybe she really is bipolar…<em> Cloud chuckled at that thought- …_then we'd really never get anywhere…_ Cloud allowed himself another sigh, as he leaned back in his recliner, thoughts flowing…

"You know- you seriously sigh too much yo." A voice commented from nearby.

"…" _Why me?_

The red-headed Turk took a seat on the sofa, reclining with a slow, drawn-out, and relaxed exhale. "You sure do know how to spot the good places. Like that villa in Costa del Sol that used to be Shinra's. I know you bought. You have a nice eye for stuff like this- maybe you're not so bad to hang with after all."

"Why do you insist on bothering me Reno?" Cloud wondered aloud.

"Cause you're just so damn fun to annoy!" Reno answered all too quickly.

"…"

"See! You're so silent, but I can see you burnin' up on the inside. 'Sides nuttin' else to do 'round here…"

"If you like bothering silent people then why don't you go bother Rude then…?"

"He's a little _too_ gloom and doom for my liking."

Cloud gained a sudden urge to ask something, garnering the strength to do so. "You know-? I always wondered how you can be so upbeat sometimes… I mean you're a Turk… what do you have to be upbeat about?"

"Well, first off- just cause we do some nasty dirty-work doesn't necessarily mean we can't enjoy our jobs… I mean it wasn't exactly what I had been dreaming of as a kid, but once I realized that being a Turk was my calling I just kinda went with it… you wanted to be a SOLDIER after all… killing was gonna be part of your job description as well you know."

The man had actually made a valid point, surprising Cloud, though he didn't show it. "I guess…"

" 'I guess' nothing! What do you think Fair was doing over in Wutai? Runnin' through daisy fields? Or what about all those _you_ killed? Sure what you killed was just mostly average monsters and the like, but what about all the guards, and MP's and soldiers you killed. All the lives you ended, people who won't ever be coming home because of what _you_ did. You could've killed one of Zack's good friends for all you know. Your hands may not be as dirty, but they sure as hell are as _bloody_ as ours. So don't go around acting all high and mighty just because you saved the planet, even _you_ have your faults."

Cloud was left speechless after that. _He's completely right after all…_ "…"

"What? Nothing to say?"

"You just surprised me."

"Hah! I surprised the great and all-powerful Cloud Strife Chocobo-head!"

"I'm not 'great and all-powerful'… and don't call me that…"

"By the way Cloud…?" Reno began, testing the waters.

"What?"

"So watcha gonna do once that woman's all better?" Reno asked, treading the waters.

"I don't really know…" Cloud answered truthfully. "I guess the first thing is to see what she'd like to do, try and find something she'd be good at, and get her integrated back into society…"

"I meant: 'whatcha you gonna _do_' yo?" Reno annunciated, wading through the waters.

Cloud was honestly clueless as what Reno was trying to hint at. He was no good at these things, and weeding out innuendos from a person's speech; its why he didn't even have an idea of Tifa's and Aerith's love for him, at least until that night at the Gold Saucer with Aerith, and that night under the shadow of the Highwind with Tifa. Probably the only time he caught on to what someone was implying was when Reeve had been trying to pinpoint his motive behind rescuing Rosso… "I don't under-… I just told you!"

"Ugh… you really have no idea do you…? _You know!_ When she's all better? When she's at full health and can… participate in more _strenuous physical activities…_" Reno stated, entirely sure that would get through to him. When all he received was nothing but a blank stare he slapped a hand to his face. "You know… I had just really gotten to see her face-to-face last night, and even though I didn't dare get too close, I sure as hell saw what a hot piece of work she was… I mean! Ya gotta admit that's one sexy lady!"

"Yeah…" Cloud let slip, then doubled back. "But what's that have to do-"

Reno cut him off with an expressive sigh. "You're _really _gonna make me spell this out for you aren't you Cloud…?" Reno said with another face-palm. "YOU GONNA BANG HER?" he asked aloud, diving into the waters.

Reno saw Cloud's expression and nearly burst into laughter. Cloud's face turned a near beet-red, and his anger boiled over the edge. Reno looked up in thought, not noticing the seething Cloud, and completely oblivious to the limit gauge that was flashing rainbow colors. "Man that woman has a nice rack, and that ass! Man this is a fine piece of ass!" Reno whistled. "I'm surprised they even let her be a soldier on the front lines, and not some Deepground sex-slave locked in someone's basement!"

_HOW DARE HE TALK ABOUT HER THIS WAY! _"I can see why you'd want to save her yo! Well if you're not planning to tap that ass, then I sure as hell will!"

Whatever Reno had to say after that was lost once Cloud's time gauge had filled up… If I were able to rewrite this in Reno's perspective, then he'd have no recollection of what came after… let's just say- not even a Phoenix Down could've woken this guy up…

* * *

><p>Everyone was trying to get out of Cloud the story as to what happened in the "little scuffle" (more like epic pwnage!). After ten minutes of interrogation the most they could get out of Cloud was: 'He pissed me the fuck off!' Tseng took Cloud with him to Elena's room (Previously Cloud's) so they could talk alone. As they walked into the room Cloud kicked over the nearby trashcan, some crumpled papers falling over to the floor.<p>

"Seriously, what's wrong Strife…?" Tseng began. "I know I don't know you well, but from what I know about you, you've never had a problem with keeping your cool before."

Cloud remained completely silent, silently fuming. Then Tseng spoke, "I have a feeling I already know what happened though…"

"Oh yeah? Then what happened?" Cloud spat.

"Believe me Cloud- I get paid to get into people's heads, and when you acted so irrationally like this, considering the circumstances with why we are living together I have theory…"

"So enlighten me then!"

"Reno made an offensive comment about Rosso didn't he?" taking Cloud's silence and his rapidly calming demeanor as a 'yes' Tseng continued. "Lately Reno's been making some rather nasty remarks about the woman, about her and her... 'features'."

"Well… he had no right to talk about her that way…" Cloud stated as he tried calming down.

"May I ask…?" at Cloud's nod Tseng continued. "I've been trying to formulate a reason as to why you would go out of your way to basically save the enemy and take her into your care, and I've developed a hypothesis for that as well... if I may continue…?"

"Ugh… I've heard it all before… so I'm going to say 'no you're wrong' ahead of time and save me the trouble, but yes- you may continue…"

Tseng nodded and proceeded, wary of Cloud's ebbing fury, "Let me start off by saying that I honestly don't think you are the kind of man to do something so selfish and outright wrong in many ways. You had the chance with _two_ women before, who were practically defenseless around you and you didn't, I don't see why you would now… I however do believe, as does everyone else that you aren't doing this just to help someone out, I think there's something more…"

"You too, huh? Why don't you people get it?" Cloud honestly wondered. "Just get to the point already..."

"I had suspicions before, but this incident has just confirmed them… Even though I agree with everyone that this isn't just to be nice, _I _however, believe it is something deeper."

"And just what is it exactly, huh Tseng? Tell me!"

Just when Cloud seemed to lose it again, he was utterly taken aback by a simple statement.

"You love her? Don't you?" Cloud couldn't even respond to the man before him as a million thoughts went through his head. "And I mean _really_ love her… I can see it in the way you look at her, in how no matter what she says, that look of adoration never fades from your face… How every movement you make, every time you touch her it's with careful precise movements… as if you're touching a work of art. I've never experienced it myself… but from what I remember with Zack and Aerith, they were the same with their love for each other, their pure love…"

"I…"

"Don't deny it Cloud, I am a Turk after all, and I can see it in your face that you do… but rather, instead of for my own confirmation, I think you need to admit it for yourself out loud, right here and right now or else these feelings will haunt you… just as mine did for Aerith… and forever you will live in regret, having never admitted the feelings and never expressing them…"

"I…" Cloud's mouth felt like cotton suddenly, his mouth ran dry from gaping so long. _That __**is**__ what I've been feeling, isn't it…? It's the truth I've been trying to push away…_

**Well… then say it…**

"I do… I- I love her… I'd give anything for her… it's why I want to protect her… its why I saved her, why I'm doing so much for her… I just- I just want to see her happy…" Cloud admitted.

"Good… and there's nothing wrong with that. Promise me, one day you'll tell her everything you feel about her, even _if_ she doesn't return these feelings; she has a right to know if she does... And maybe, just maybe it can be the one thing that can save her from herself. As much as she hates the world, the only enemy that truly remains is herself." Cloud gave a quick nod. "Then I guess there's not much else to say… I'll tell the others that Reno made a nasty comment about your dead parents or something. That is a reasonable enough story to believe that you'd get angry over. When Reno wakes up, I'll make sure that I'm the first to talk to him and convince him to hold to our story."

"Thanks Tseng." Cloud responded, truthfully grateful for the help. _Guess he's not so bad after all… at least not that bad for a Turk, heh._

"I'll be off then." Tseng said about to walk out. "Oh! And try not to lash out like that again; I don't think I can cover for you twice, no matter how easy it is to believe Reno's stupidity. Heh, you could've killed him you know? I suppose now he'll be more wary about what comes out of his mouth now. He's a fine Turk, no doubt, I'd never think of replacing him- It's just I wish he'd take his job just a little bit more seriously."

Cloud gave a 'hmm' in response as he looked back on what he did to that unsuspecting red-headed Turk.

…

"I can see why you'd want to save her yo! Well if you're not planning to tap that ass, then I sure as hell will!"

With that, Cloud's rage had reached the tipping point, there was no way he'd allow someone to talk that way about a woman. "YOU CHAUVINISTIC FUCK!" he bellowed as he flew from where he sat. The Turk didn't even have the time to look back at his attacker from the spot on the ceiling before he was suddenly dragged from his seat by the collar, his back facing the hallway to the kitchen.

"Whoa! Cloud calm-" his sentence wasn't even finished before a fist connected with his face sending him flying from the living space and through the hallway, into the kitchen, and through the glass of the sliding doors and a good thirty feet from the lodge and into the field (Homerun!).

...

"Yeah… sure." _He's right though… I can't lash out like that again or they'll believe that I'm incompetent to be taking care of Rosso… then she'll have no one… huh, way off topic, but I just realized something… Gotta go talk to Rosso..._

"I'll take my leave then." Tseng simply said as he continued out of the room and down the stairs, without even a creak.

Cloud himself walked out of the room and over to Rosso's. "Hey I just realized something that needs to be done." He said to the woman lying in bed. _Which reminds me… I hope she didn't hear any of that. I don't think so though, she'd be bitching at me if she did._

"What is it?" Rosso asked rather harshly.

_See, she changes at the drop of a hat!_ "Well, that you need to bathe… it's been almost two weeks now." Then he doubled back. "Not that I'm saying you stink, or you're dirty or anything!" _Smooth Cloud…_

"I will not allow you to-" Rosso stopped mid sentence when a blonde Turk came bursting into the room.

"Cloud!" the woman demanded his attention.

"Yeah Elena?"

"You need to be more careful next time, you spiky idiot!" the woman reprimanded. "If Reno hadn't casted that barrier in time, he'd probably be dead!"

Cloud was surprised at that bit of news. _He casted a barrier? When'd he do that? Guess he is better than I thought…_ "Yeah, right, sorry…"

"Oh were you in the middle of something?" Elena asked taking note of the icy stare Rosso was sending Cloud's way.

"I will not allow you to undress me you foolish man!" the red-head of the room exclaimed, to Elena's gasp.

"Cloud? You perverted sicko!" Elena yelled.

"It's not like that!" Cloud denied. Then a thought crossed his mind; _Of course! How could I have forgotten that I have others living here…_ A sudden sinister smirk crossed his face as he looked between the women. "She just needs a bath."

Cloud then turned to Rosso, that smirk still upon his face. "And Rosso... Whoever said I'd be the one giving you the bath?" Cloud stated, as both Rosso and Elena blanched. "I'll leave you ladies alone then." Cloud stated, as he walked out of the room.

"Wait- what?" he heard Elena call as he walked down the flight of steps, silently snickering. _Two birds in one stone…!_

* * *

><p><span>POV: Elena<span>

Getting stripped of her garments by another person was a rather awkward ordeal for the red-head, Elena was sure. Adding to the awkwardness was the small confines of the bathroom. _You'd think a place like this would have a bigger bathroom._ The woman sputtered and cursed each time she fiddled with Rosso's clothing. "That damn Chocobo-headed bastard! I'm gonna kill him!" she muttered under her breathe.

"Am I that much of a burden?" Rosso asked, to a surprised Elena. _Well, we haven't talked before so I can see why…_

"No, no! It's not that! It's just… I don't know…" Elena finally got off the woman's top, with some help from Rosso, though that was all she could help with. She then bent down to the woman sitting upon the bathroom floor ready to remove the woman's pants. "How do you like your water? Hot?"

"Yes please."

Elena stooped over the claret-head and turned the knobs to the faucet over the tub, waiting with her hand under the stream until it felt hot enough. "That good enough?"

Rosso reached behind her, putting a hand under the stream of water as well. "Yes that's good…"

Elena put a stopper on the drain and dried her hand quickly. She then reached over and undid the clasp to Rosso's bra, throwing it along with the other clothing. Elena couldn't help but look at the round set of breasts before her. Elena felt a twinge of jealousy; _Bigger than mine… _

"Do like what you see darling?" Rosso sadistically asked.

_She's enjoying making this more awkward than it already is, isn't she?_

"Relax darling, I'm joking ."

She shook the thoughts as she had to get prepared for the even tougher part. _Now, the underwear..._ The embarrassed blonde hunched lower and grabbed hold of the sides of the white, laced panties. She pulled with a swift discomfited movement. "Now let's get you in." Getting the surprisingly heavy woman into the tub was a quite arduous task. She finally got her in after a few minutes of struggle, of which Rosso kept a slight smirk throughout the whole ordeal. "No offense, but you're pretty heavy!"

"Muscle mass darling… years of training. Plus, having been holed up in a room without any chance for exercise doesn't help any."

"Hmm… true…" _why does she seem so normal all of a sudden? _"Why are you so easy going about this whole situation?" Elena wanted to know as she began scrubbing.

"If I let it get to me, then that man wins. He's just trying to get under my skin…annoying…"

"What do you think about Cloud?"

"When I first learned of him, I believed he was a powerful fighter, worthy of battle… I now realize he is nothing special at all like I thought… he's just another fool!"

"But he saved your life."

"I would have been better off being left to rot. You foolish people think that I can change, but I will never be normal. Killing is what I do, it's what I'm good at, and it's all I know. Even now, in the few minutes we've been together my mind has blazed through at least twenty ways to kill you."

Elena was deeply disturbed at that. _Maybe she's not so normal after all…_

The steam from the hot water was really starting to spread now, the mirror had already begun to fog up, as Elena continued her task in silence. "You know- my sister was one of the Turks." The woman in the tub said.

"Hmmm…. She was?" Elena paused in her actions at this bit of information. She continued on once more, now more curious of this former Tsviet than ever. "Who was she?"

"Well, when I was finally freed of the prison that was Deepground, I had done an extensive amount of research into the new world I'd have to traverse. When I had been doing some research into that man Vincent Valentine, I had also delved into some information on the Turks. That's when I found her… After giving birth to me, my blood mother had returned to the surface. She left Shinra in shame, and dismay at what she had done to an unborn child. She must have met him there, in Mideel, _her_ father. The two settled down there where she gave birth to my half sister… however not long later, Shinra came after her. You see, they couldn't let her get away with company secrets, and they killed them for it. They however kept the girl, deciding to train her to become a Turk. When she grew older she was simply told that Shinra had found her in an orphanage…"

"What was your sister's name?"

"Well- not even her file had that, but her given Turk name was Cissnei I believe…"

"Cissnei…?" _She was one of the previous Turks, one of the one's that left in the mass "downsizing". She had to go into hiding after what happened in the fight with the previous incarnation of AVALANCHE! _"I can't believe _she's_ your sister! Hey! Maybe you should go and try to find her!"

"She wouldn't even know me…" Rosso digressed, sounding more human than ever.

* * *

><p><span>POV: Rosso the Crimson<span>

She didn't what to believe anymore, she didn't know what to think. She was the sole survivor now, the last of the Tsviets: Nero, Weiss, Azul all dead… the traitor Shelke didn't count; _Not like she ever really was a Tsviet anyway_. She was absolutely alone now, the last of her kind… _If Weiss could see me now, he'd be disgusted by weakness…_ _What is going through my head? Why can't the thought of him leave me alone… that damn Strife! _

…

"You love her? Don't you?" She heard the black-haired Turk say.

Then came the blond's reply. "**No! No! I'm disgusted by the very sight of her! No way could I ever fall in love with a woman as repulsive as that!"** the statement shocked the hell out of the woman, and surprisingly she found herself dismayed. _Of course… what else would I expect from the bastard…? Humph...He didn't even hesitate to respond…_

"Good… and there's nothing wrong with that. Promise me, one day you'll tell her everything you feel about her, she has a right to know **how disgusting she is**... And maybe, just maybe it can be the one thing that can **destroy her!** As much as she hates the world, the only enemy that truly remains **is us**." _So they are plotting to kill me after all_. "Then I guess there's not much else to say… I'll tell the others that Reno made a nasty comment about **you falling in love with that bitch. Really though… who could ever fall in love with someone so revolting?"**

"**I know right?" Cloud chuckled. "I'd probably tap that once, and leave her in the dust, if even that."** **The two share a good laugh.**

"I'll take my leave then." The Turk said as he exited the room and walked down the stairs.

…

_I'll show them__… They're lucky I didn't kill the girl Turk when I had the chance…_ Rosso had been taken by complete surprise when she had overheard that conversation. For her, this had now become a game of kill or be killed. She couldn't shake a feeling of betrayal though, even though she has never fully trusted him, he had played her for a fool so well. _Not like it's my first time dealing with betrayal…_

…

**Betrayal**

The young girl, not so long after obtaining her mako suit had been called over to Dr. Tyuschung's office for some kind of new special exam of some sort. Not that she minded in the least bit, since it was Dr. Tyuschung that called her. She might've been suspicious if it was anyone else. She loved Dr. Tyuschung like a father; he was so endearing and kind. As she walked into his office prancing inside, she was met with a different face than she expected however. It was the doctor that had done her health exam those few days ago, the one who put her in this glowy uniform.

"Um… is Dr. Tyuschung here sir?" the little girl so innocently asked. "He summoned me here…so."

"You'll see him soon enough girl." Came the cold retort. "If you'll kindly come with me, we can begin the examination." The Dr. prompted the girl to follow him through a door she had never gone through before and into a large open room. There was what looked like an observation booth, with a single rectangular, reinforced glass window on the other side.

"So what now sir?" the girl asked kindly, but the man was already striding over to a door on the other end. The door automatically slid up allowing the man passage and then hiss closed with a hiss, leaving her alone. She saw the man appear on the other side of the glass in the booth, and she had to resist waving at him. She resisted because she suddenly queasy, her senses were on high alert, she knew something was wrong. _What's going on…?_

Suddenly she heard the man's voice over the loudspeaker: "You may begin."

_You may begin what?_- she inwardly asked, but then she realized the command wasn't for her. Several men in some kind of armored suits came waltzing in, and the walls of the room slid open. She froze in fear, but she knew she had to get away. With a burst of energy she tried to run to the door to Dr. Tyuschung's office but was stopped by one of the men who threw her to the ground a few feet away.

"Use whatever you want." The voice over the loudspeaker said.

Each of the soldiers went towards the now opened walls, and grabbed one of the many things that lined them. For what those walls had revealed was many tortuous instruments. Manacles, clubs, maces, whips, blades, and all sorts of contraptions and nameless weapons of torture lined the walls. Each person grabbed one of the many crude tools; some grabbed two, and then walked over to the girl shaking in the middle of the room. Then it began, with the first crap of a whip. Blood grazed across the floor, her eyes already began to water, the pain was unbearable. In a mass hysteria of endless pain, each took turns beating, flogging, cutting, whipping, and kicking her. Somehow throughout the ordeal she had the top to her suit, having been ripped off. She cried out in pain, she'd rather take death over this. Through the pain, the fear, the wishes for death, she turned her head to the side as she lay upon her belly presenting her back to her torturers. And when she did turn her head, through the tears, and blood, and mind numbing pain she saw _him… _standing by the other doctor a clipboard in hand.

"DOCTOR TYUSCHUNG!" she cried in desperation. He looked up from his clipboard, and she saw the look upon his face, and it destroyed her. Upon his face was a look… a look of disgust.

That was the day she was betrayed. She promised herself that she'd never allow herself to be betrayed again by never forming any attachments. She'd never allow herself to feel that pain again. The cuts and wounds would heal; her mind didn't, and probably never would. She was literally thrown into the section of Deepground she had never been to before. All her arts-and-crafts classes, all her music classes were replaced by classes like, Military tactics, and Materia Theory, and all she had come to love was stripped from her. None of her previous friends would speak to her, all the teachers she had come to like looked upon her with reproachful gazes, and her new instructors were just as bad if not worse.

This had also been the day she discovered the truth of Deepground. They had only acted so nice to her as a child, and told her those lies about what Deepground was to lure her and the other children into a false sense of security. They wanted to teach them of betrayal and to never trust another human being; that everyone was an enemy. It worked doubly so, in that it instilled a fear inside of them for their superiors.

This was the day began to hate the world…

The day she learned of betrayal…

And the day she learned the truth:

This place was hell…

And she needed to escape no matter what that goal entailed…

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>There has been a long standing rumor on the net that Rosso is in fact Cissnei, but this makes no sense for many reasons:

-Rosso has an accent

-Rosso was born in Deepground, not found in an orphanage

-Rosso loves to kill, and even though Cissnei has killed, having been a Turk and all, she has neither the warped mind, the sadism, or the insanity

-Rosso doesn't use a shuriken

-Rosso had never been to the above world during the events of Before Crisis and Crisis Core, and the Restrictors wouldn't have let her

-As a plus to the above statement, Rosso told Vincent she had never seen the sky or felt the rain before

-Rosso was battling Restrictors in Deepground, while Cissnei was battling monsters and crap above

-Rosso would've put up a good fight against Zack if she were Cissnei, and though you could argue she was holding back, I somehow doubt that someone like Rosso would lose on purpose...

So instead what I did, is I created a little back story, that works almost too well with the compilation's canon, where they are half sisters instead of the same person. Them being half sisters could also explain the lack of an accent on Cissnei's end (also her being raised somewhat in Mideel could also have something to do with it). I chose Mideel because it seems an out of the way place enough that if someone were actually trying to escape Shinra, Mideel would be a pretty logical place to go.

By the way, Tyuschung is German for illusion or deception. Get it?


	7. Chapter Seven: Cloud's Faux Pas

**Author's Note:** I'm so so sorry guys! Computer had broken down almost literally after posting the last chapter, and it took this long to get a new one. Sorry guys... I hope I haven't lost any supporters after this long wait, and appreciate all those who have stuck with me and those who will return for this chapter. Again, I'm so sorry (though its not my fault that damn computer broke down on me... blasted computer! Cloud! Go Omnislash it wherever it is!)

I hope you guys enjoy this chappy; I worked day and night on it. Plz read and... no in fact don't review... I don't deserve it... :'(

* * *

><p>Chapter Seven: Cloud's Faux Pas<p>

POV: Tseng Leader of the Turks

Cloud had been quite surprised when he got a sudden phone call from Reeve saying that he'd be showing up soon. The former Director of Urban Development had stated that he needed to do a quick checkup on Rosso about her current condition. The call came the next day after the incident with Reno, Reeve stating that he was already on his way and would be there by midnight the next day. _I may not be a doctor but from what I can tell, Rosso has seemed to have been doing fine- health wise… not so much attitude wise…_ Tseng thought to himself, recalling an earlier run-in with the easily detestable woman…

…

Tseng had been merely passing by on the second floor, on his way to the bathroom when a sudden call stopped him in his tracks.

"Oi! You there! Turk! Go fetch me a glass of water!" the woman demanded of him.

"Excuse me?" Tseng had simply replied.

"You heard me Shinra dog! I require liquid refreshments!" she retorted.

With great reluctance Tseng had went and gotten a glass of water from the tap, taking great care not to spill it on his way back upstairs. He handed it to her with great reverence, not showing at all how annoyed he really was. The woman took a single sip before spitting it out all over her bed and then throwing the glass across the room where it hit the far wall and shattered into pieces, the water spilling across the wall and dripping onto the floor.

"Don't you have anything better than this piss? Something filtered perhaps? Gaia, we barely had running water, and the tap in Deepground tasted better than that dog piss you people call water! Fetch me a glass of something that is actually drinkable! Go! On with you!"

_Never thought I'd think this about a woman… Bitch…_

…

"He's awake!" a frantic voice called out from the entrance to the basement. At that, the rest of the Turks rose from their seats, Rude taking Rufus and rolling him over to the ramp. Cloud looked he was not about to come with the others, probably not wanting to even look at the red-headed Turk. He, however, eventually rose from his seat and walked behind the rest of them down to the basement, where the red-headed Turk lay in the corner of the room, on top of a cot.

"Ah, there's Spikes." Reno said as Cloud approached to where the others were stationed around the cot. "Did you really have to knock me out cold like that man? I have paper-work that needs to be taken care of… now I'm behind."

"Maybe you should learn to watch your mouth then..." Cloud stated emotionlessly, seemingly unremorseful.

"Sorry man… but you didn't have to react like that yo..."

"If it hadn't been me, somebody was going to do it eventually, with the way you talk."

"Well…" Reno began looking up at the others. "Remind me to never mess with a Mako enhanced person ever again."

"Sorry, but your on your own." Elena quipped.

"One thing Cloud…" Reno returned his attention to the blond. Taking the man's silence as reason to continue he went on. "What does that woman mean to you that you would flip out like that? It's not like you're lovers or anything. You have no excuse like 'I was sticking up for woman's honor' or anything like that. She's nothing to you- at least she should be nothing to you."

"What does it matter why I did what I did?" Cloud growled in anger. "What better reason than to shut your filthy mouth!" Cloud shouted one last response before stalking off back upstairs.

"Cloud wait!" Elena called out before running after him.

"Rude go after them," Rufus commanded the Turk. "We wouldn't want our warrior knocking out another of our colleagues, now do we?"

The silent Turk gave a single nod, before swiftly striding back up to the ground floor. "Well that certainly worked in our favor now didn't it?" Rufus said aloud. "I was wondering how we'd get ourselves alone as soon as possible, and this rather lovely situation presented itself to us. So… Reno I'm sorry to have had put you through that, but what is your deduction based on his reaction to your statements on the Deepground soldier."

"Yeah boss, I'm expecting a raise for telling me to do that… but, anyways- from the way he went nuts like that, I can say with little doubt that our blond friend has fallen in love with our target." Reno stated, in his business tone. "Obviously, from how he reacted towards me, this crush of his is probably hindering his judgment. Well that's my report, guys." He finished.

Rufus swiveled to face the other man still left in the room, standing at the foot of the redhead's bed. "And how about you Tseng? Do you find any reason to support Reno's claim, after talking with Cloud alone? What do you have to report?"

Although, the black-haired Turk did not show it to the people that were before him, Tseng was caught in a raging turmoil that swamped his mind. Only thrice before had he been torn between a decision that required him to choose between his own feelings, and his job as a Turk. That had been when he had to choose whether to execute his own boss, the former leader of the Turks, Veld, and his daughter in order to keep his place as a Turk. Despite being appraised by Veld for his decision to go forward with killing the two of them, Tseng spent many sleepless nights, and many days waking from nightmares about that moment. Of course he would never show his distress outwardly though. The second decision happened to be when had to choose whether or not to take into custody the woman he had formerly been in love with Aerith. He spent years holding it off, but eventually he had to make go with the decision as a Turk and not as a person- having imprisoned the woman at Shinra. The third decision, was when he and that twisted scientist Hojo had arrived at the Nibelheim reactor and stumbled upon a half dead Zack Fair, and Cloud Strife. He knew what would happen to the two of them, the horror that Hojo would submit them to... Zack was perhaps the closest thing to what Tseng would ever call a friend; if he could ever find it within himself to use the word, and yet he had done nothing to stop it... had only stood by as Hojo had them wheeled off to their torture, and off-handedly, Zack's eventual demise, a result of his own inaction. For once he felt he needed to make a decision as a human being and not as the robot that was always expected of him. He could not stand to see another hurt by his own decisions, and lack of action.

So as simple as his next words would seem, they would in all reality be the toughest words to ever be forced from the man's throat. He was for once, going against his own job as leader of the Turks. Tseng looked the man in the eyes, and said what he could barely dare to say, "Nothing… I have nothing to report at all sir. When I tried to speak to him, I could get nothing more than what you and the others could out of him. He was really quite adamant."

"Hmm… I guess we'll just have to wait until another opportunity arises to prove Reno's statement then… pity…"

" 'Pity'? That's all? 'Pity'?" Reno shouted growing in irritation. "I took a SOLDIER class punch to the face for nothing! Fuck!"

"Reno! Watch yourself!" Rufus shut the Turk up. "I'm just as upset as you are, but your sacrifice wasn't for absolutely nothing- we now have some clue as to how Cloud feels about this woman. This isn't good, if his judgment really is clouded by love. It's a shame really… such a powerful warrior… although he never made SOLDIER, he'd certainly make it if he had this kind of strength then. As a man enhanced by Mako, he is practically the last of his kind, a dead breed of man… if only he wasn't so heavily influenced by the hindrance called 'emotion'…"

* * *

><p><span>POV: Cloud Strife<span>

_Man… why does it seem like its getting harder to keep my emotions in check… I'm starting to feel like a whiny douche- me yellin' all the time…_ Cloud had honestly tried to keep his cool, the red-head had practically spent a day in a mini coma, and as much as he hated the guy sometimes, he didn't want to be _that _cruel. Reno just seemed to infuriate him no matter how hard he tried though; truth is though, Reno had actually ensnared him with that statement on how he 'had no excuse' for his behavior- and since he didn't want anyone besides Tseng knowing his secret, in his outward appearance he truly didn't have one. Not only was the woman a former Deepground soldier, and their enemy, but she had been treating him like shit since the minute she had awoken- what reason did _he_ have for lashing out like he did? Of course he did- his secret infatuation of the Tsviet of course; but Shinra couldn't know that. _Why does everything have to be so damn complicated!_-Cloud cursed internally at his predicament.

Cloud suddenly became aware of a presence coming up behind him, turning around to meet the blue eyes of the female Turk that followed him up the stairs. "What?" Cloud asked a little more distasteful than he meant.

"What's with you? He just woke up after you knock him out, and you yell at him like that and storm off like a baby!" Elena yelled at him. "I mean, I know he can be a jerk at times, but he's a colleague of mine, you don't what we've been through… us Turks we're like family… Why'd you have to go and do that you spiky-headed jerk?"

The two of them were receiving curious glances form the repairmen in the kitchen, so Cloud directed her over to the living space and over to the side deck of the lodge. As soon as they were outside and the sliding door was carefully closed Cloud turned to her just slightly remorseful. "Look I'm sorry… I didn't mean to, but he…" Cloud didn't know how to finish that sentence. Luckily Elena took up the silence.

"What's going on Cloud? We don't know each other well- I know that… but one- it's my job to 'know' people and two- the Cloud I remember wouldn't let his emotions get the better of him." Elena began with a harsh gaze, with a dash of genuine concern in her eyes. Her features softened as her eyes took on more concern. "Look- I know we haven't always seen eye to eye, that's for sure… I used to hate your guts…" she added. "But- I know what a good guy you are, and how hard you've fought for the planet… how hard that burden must be… and now you have to live with us, your least favorite people and that this must all be so stressful for you and the rest of them might not get that… so if you ever need someone to talk to, just know that I'm here, okay Cloud?"

She had just finished her sentence when she encountered the completely unexpected. Cloud had done the unthinkable, hell he literally didn't put any thought into it anyways- it just sort of happened… somehow Cloud's lips had found themselves firmly planted onto those of the blonde Turks'. She tensed up for a good minute, clearly shocked and unprepared but soon seemed to relax into Cloud's arms. She brought her arms up and around the man's neck forcing herself deeper into the man's lush lips. For some reason all that went through his head at the moment was pure lust, like a tidal wave crashing against his mind. Everything else had scattered, all rational thought had been torn away, and in its place was a carnal hunger, insatiable and mind-numbing. The kiss seemed to last forever, deepening with every passing second, their tongues exploring each others mouths with heightened fervor. He could swear he felt some saliva trickle down his chin, but decided against breaking the moment to wipe it, and the other being in his arms did not seem to care either. The blood rushed and swelled within his body, his heartbeat as well as hers pounding in his eardrums, the hunger growing, his mind growing even more numb, the heat in member swelling, and then… nothing. It was over as fast as it came. Their lips parted as if both owners had suddenly come to realize where they were and who they'd been kissing. As his brain function finally returned Cloud finally noticed the young Turk's condition. Her suit top and dress shirt had been torn open, some of the buttons missing entirely, her bra being the only thing shielding her breasts, and her tie was undone, now hanging lazily around her neck. Finally becoming aware of a breeze where there shouldn't be, he glanced down at his undone trousers, and the throbbing fully erect member hanging out of his boxers catching the wind. He looked back up into her teary eyes as it at last clicked in his head what he had been on the verge of doing. "I'm so sorry…" he choked out.

She muttered a simple 'I should leave' before brushing past him and rushing back indoors. Cloud let out a heavy sigh before tucking his member back into its place and re-buttoning and buckling his pants. As he zipped up his pants one thought crossed his mind as he let out another drawn out sigh- _I'm a fucking dickhead…_ Aware of eyes digging into his skull, he turned around with dread… sunglasses were what he saw staring back at him from the other side of the glass. Yup Cloud- Rude saw the whole thing… and I'm sure I know what's going through your head right now: _Fuck…_

When Cloud had finally gathered enough balls to reenter the lodge his face was met with Rude's gloved fist. "Yeah I think I deserved that…" Cloud responded.

"Never touch Elena that way again." Rude gruffly stated.

"I won't, I promise… I just... lost myself…" Cloud clumsily stated.

"That better be all it was..." Rude gruffly warned.

It appeared that Rude didn't entirely trust Cloud's statement but decided not to press it, instead he turned around and walked back toward the basement. Cloud gave another sigh and walked upstairs up to the landing of the second floor. _Gaia… I can't believe what I was about to do to her… what happened? It was like I just lost all control. Goodness… what if I had…? She's probably still a virgin, and I'm not even sure if she's of legal age yet…! I'm a pedophile…_ Cloud gathered what was left of his courage and walked over to Elena's door giving it a firm rap. It took a minute until the door was opened ever so slightly, a single teary blue eye peaking out, before the door was shut once more.

"Listen, Elena! I'm sorry…" Cloud shouted through the door, not entirely sure that she could hear him anyway. "I don't know what happened, I just lost myself… I-I'm so so sorry… I didn't mean to hurt you…" Cloud was almost entirely sure that either Elena couldn't hear him or was ignoring him.

"…Go away…" a soft command came from the other side. "I never want to see you again…"

"I'm sorry Elena…" Cloud protested. "I… can you at least answer me this? You are at the age of consent aren't you…?"

"…I'm twenty-three!" the yell came through the door.

At least Cloud had the comfort of knowing that at least he wasn't a pedophile. "Please forgive me…" Cloud weakly asked before he walked away and toward his room, or rather, Rosso's room. _What the hell is wrong with me…! Fuck! _Cloud opened the door to the room and dropped down upon his sheets at the foot of the bed, burying his face into them.

"What happened?" Cloud heard the woman lying upon the bed ask.

"Nothing…" came his muffled answer.

"Looks like it might start pouring with how depressed Cloud is today." The woman quipped.

It actually took a while him to get that one and would've laughed if hadn't been feeling so shitty at the moment. "Please Rosso… I just want to be left alone- okay?"

"Whatever…" Rosso sighed.

Cloud lied there for a good while, thinking over on what a dick he was. _I can't sugar-coat it… I practically raped her! What the hell happened to me…? I couldn't control myself. Maybe Reeve's right and I really am just a selfish bastard…_ _Which reminds me… _"By the way- Rosso…"

"What is it?"

"My friend Reeve is coming tomorrow night to check up on your health."

"…I don't see why… I'm perfectly fine."

"Oh yeah? Then let me see you stand up!" Cloud lashed out.

"…Whatever." Rosso said with a deep scowl.

"Sorry… I didn't mean…" Cloud tried to apologize.

"Just go to bed… and stop with the apologies." Rosso stated as she snuggled deeper into her covers and out of Cloud's view.

* * *

><p>The following morning Cloud decided that he didn't feel like being cooped up in the lodge any longer, especially after what happened only last night. So he decided on taking a stroll into the woods to collect his thoughts and get some fresh air. After a quick breakfast, and giving Rosso her morning mako dose he made for the stairs, quickly snatching up his coat and scarf from the rack on his way over to the sliding door that the incident took place on. Leisurely strolling down the steps of the deck and into the blanket of white, Cloud walked into the field behind the house in the direction of the woods. Hand in pockets, and head down in shame, Cloud continued walking well until he met the first snow covered conifers of the woods. He took in slow deliberate breaths of the frigid air, seeing his breath slowly rise into the air with each exhale. Still he trudged through the snow, going deeper yet. After awhile of walking he took a moment to look behind, the lodge gone from his sight. His eyes back to the path in front of him he strode on, not even knowing where he was going or even if he was going to stop.<p>

A sudden thought crossed his mind: _I should have at least brought Ascalon or Sidewinder with me… Man, I must really be out of it if I'm not thinking clearly when it comes to battle. _Dispelling the thoughts with a shake of his head, Cloud continued on through the snowy forest eventually coming upon a frozen lake. Not wanting to take the long way around it, the blond warrior decided to instead walk straight on through. Grabbing a relatively large rock from nearby he tossed onto the icy lake. Cautiously taking steps onto the ice, he finally decided that frozen water would be able to hold his weight, though the last thing he wanted was to go tumbling into freezing waters, and then have to explain why he was drenched in water to the damnable Shinra. He reached the other side without incident and ventured further onward. _I don't even know what the hell I'm doing… whatever… I guess it is good to get out though. I've been stuck in that place for so long, I need this refreshment. Maybe being around the Shinra has driven me insane; and for some reason that actually doesn't sound so farfetched- _Cloud chuckled lightly to himself.

_Now that I'm out here and away from the others, I need to figure out a way to keep that promise that I had made to Tseng… _The more that Cloud pondered on it, the more he came to detest the idea. _How in the world would I be able to tell that woman such a thing without her going completely ballistic on me? Honestly I can't think of one… and I really am no good with words… _Cloud chuckled once more when he thought about a comment Cid had made once- that Cloud preferred to let his blade do the talking, and his Materia the negotiating.

Returning his thoughts back to how he was going to go about accomplishing the task set before, he leaned his back against a nearby tree in concentration. However, the more that he thought about, the more frustrated he became. It seemed no matter what scenario he conjured up in his mind, they all ended the same way: with his balls skewered and his head hanging from a pike… His brow furrowed in aggravation and dissatisfaction. No matter what honey-dipped words he fed the claret headed woman his mind still drew up the same conclusion. _Maybe I'm being overly critical of myself and of her as well… Perhaps I should give her more credit than I'm allowing her… Maybe she'd take it better than I'm imagining she will…_ Cloud gave a vocal harrumph for that ridiculous mindset. _Yeah right Cloud… And Sephiroth isn't a psychopathic mama's boy bent on achieving Godlines and ruling the galaxy by playing Grand Theft Planet with the universe… When Dual Horns fly! I can only see this ending badly for me when I decide to come out with this. I'll just have to wait until the right time I guess… Whenever that will be… I'm just making more excuses aren't I…? And then there's that incident with Elena… She probably thinks that I'm a freak now. Oh Gaia, I hope this doesn't come to bite me in the ass like a Nibel Wolf… _

Cloud had stayed wrapped in the solitude of the forest, absorbed within his thoughts until the sun began to slowly ebb in the distance. That still didn't catch his attention of the waning afternoon and approaching evening. It wasn't until he heard the telltale whirs of propellers and the whine of thrusters warning of the approaching Shera that he finally took notice of how late it was. _He's here a little earlier than imagined…_ Cloud swiftly rose from his place seated against a tree and ran back in the direction the lodge, not wanting any of the Shinra employees to answer the door. He saw the Shera land in a snowy field not too far from the lodge, and stepped up his speed. It wasn't for awhile until he finally saw the house in the distance, having not realized exactly how far he had ventured into the woods that morning.

He ran up the back deck like lightning, his mind barely computing the now markless glass door that he ripped open and closed. He tore across the house, also barely hearing the "Hey Cloud where ya been? What the hell…?" as he made it to the front door just as the doorbell went off. Coming to abrupt stop he stripped himself of the coat and scarf, putting them on the rack, and patting his hair for good measure. _Why __**did**__ I just do that? If my hair looks wild, it just means I look normal…_ Taking one more millisecond to compose himself, Cloud opened the front door to meet Reeve's face.

"Hello Reeve." Cloud greeted. "How was the trip?"

"It was fine…" the raven-head responded. "Slightly ahead of schedule as you can see."

"Where's Cid?" Cloud asked not seeing anyone behind him... nor the disaster approaching…

"He elected to stay behind on the ship for now, he'll stop by later... Said it was in his best interest to steer clear of the… 'impending danger'…" Reeve said to the still oblivious blond.

_Impending danger…? What?_ "Umm, well- come in Reeve, and we'll get right down to examining Rosso."

Reeve's eyes nearly shot out of their sockets in horror, and he blanched in startlement, to the blond warrior's puzzlement. The man seemed to be giving him some kind of warning look as if to say "Get out now! A hurricane is passing right through this area!"

It wasn't until Reeve stepped inside, and Cloud went pale that it all made sense- Cid not coming inside… Reeve's strange behavior… There really was a hurricane coming… a category five hurricane that you didn't want to fuck with… and it was fittingly named Hurricane Tifa… and it was about to tear down all of Gaia in its rage.

_FUCK! __I SHOULD HAVE PAID MORE ATTENTION TO THE FORECAST! CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF A FINAL HEAVEN TO THE FACE!_

"…Tifa!" Cloud could only manage to say past the lump in his throat.

The woman stepped into the lodge, slamming the door shut behind her, the stomping of her boots like a death bell to Cloud's ears…

"So… surprised to see me?" Tifa asked to the bewildered Cloud.

Cloud found himself nodding. "Uh- yeah! Um Tifa… uh- wha- uh- what are you- uh doing here…?" From the corner of his eye he saw Tuesti giving him a sympathetic glare before he walked over to the kitchen, rightfully not wanting to get involved… Tifa's limits do pick _random_ targets after all… So Reeve took his chance to hold the L1 and R1 buttons and get the hell out of there!

"What do you mean what am I doing here?" she bellowed. "I'm chasing after a fucking liar that's why I'm here!"

Cloud vocally gasped in shock. "Tifa doesn't curse!" Cloud actually found himself saying, the words tumbling out of his mouth, before he could stop them.

"Shut the fuck up!" Tifa commanded. Unconsciously Cloud closed his gaping mouth that he didn't even realize was open in the first place. "You lied to me you conniving bastard!"

Cloud wasn't used to this verbal abuse- at least not from Tifa. "I-" Cloud tried to start.

"Shut it! Don't try and sweet talk me or feed more of your deception… it ain't gonna get you out of this one, I promise you that… So…" she continued as Reeve and the Turks watched from the safety of the kitchen. "You mind telling me what you're doing out here?"

"I-" Cloud began, but got another 'Shut it!' _W-wha- you just asked me a question!_

Tifa started again gradually growing in intensity. "You're out here… in a frozen wasteland… miles from home… miles from Rocket Town, where you said you'd be… on the other side of the planet… you've got Marlene worrying sick… Denzel thinks you're dead… you lie to your best friend… you practically spat in the face of all your friends… and all of this- FOR SOME GODFORSAKEN PSYCHOTIC BITCH! TELL ME HOW THIS MAKES ANY SENSE!" Tifa screamed at the top of her lungs.

"SHE IS NOT A PSYCHOTIC BITCH TIFA!" Cloud rose to meet her level, not being able to take it anymore. "She deserves my help just like anyone else would!"

"But she's _not_ 'anyone else' Cloud! She's a Deepground soldier, our enemy; remember?"

"Correction! _Former_ Deepground soldier! Deepground no longer exists. Just like I can't call myself SOLDIER anymore even if I had made it in, she can no longer call herself a Tsviet… she is no longer our enemy." Cloud attested on Rosso's behalf.

"You're just concocting excuses to make why you're doing this sensible, when it has no logic behind it at all!"

"No logic…? No logic? I see perfect logic! I'm just taking care of her!"

"Then leave it to doctors, and professionals! This is not your responsibility! So stop making it!"

"Exactly! It _isn't_ my responsibility! That is why they call stuff like this an act of selfless humanity! I'm only looking out for the well-being of a fellow human being!"

"But she's _not_ a human being!" Tifa spat.

"So what are saying, huh? That I'm not human either?" Cloud inquired, trying to turn the tables on her.

"Don't put words in my mouth. You may have similar stuff running though both of your veins. But she is a monster unlike you."

"But what if she's not anymore Tifa? What if she can change? What if I can change her Tifa?" Cloud inquired.

"She can't be changed!" Tifa countered

"How do you know? Huh? How do you know? Rufus was a monster! I hate to admit it, but look how much he's changed! The battle is over… she has no reason left to fight… no one left to give her orders… and now she has so much left to live for…" Cloud stated in a more subdued tone.

"You just don't get it do you Cloud? You're so intelligent, yet so dumb and blind…" Tifa also toned down, speaking softly. "People like her… They don't need orders… they don't need battles… they just want to watch the world burn… I just don't understand why you can't see it- when you've met someone like this before... Or have you forgotten already Cloud? Aren't nightmares supposed to be more memorable than dreams Cloud?"

No I haven't forgotten Tifa…

The silver 'nightmare' we all brought down together…

But you're wrong…

And I'll prove to you why…

I'll prove she can change…

I can save her…

I'm the only one that can…

And I will...

Because as much as nightmares may hold a mark on memory…

A strong enough dream will never truly be forgotten…

Zack taught me that…

I love her…

More than you know…

Going against her would be going against my honor

She's my new dream…

And I now know what I really want…

Zack… I want to be a hero too…

I want to be…

Her hero…


	8. Chapter Eight: What Once Was

**Author's Note:**I'm coming back with a vengeance! I've got to make up for those months not writing! So I've pumped out yet another chapter from my head at a thousand words a second... Yeah, I wish I could type _that_ fast! So I hope you enjoy reading this chappy, because i certainly enjoyed writing it!

**Shout Outs:** TO ALL THOSE STILL READING THIS! THANKS!

Also, if you could please tell me in a review what you make of Cloud's flashback at the end of the chapter, that'd be cool! Was it tear-jerky enough, or did I completely miss the mark? I think it'd help me as a writer getting feedback on something I'm not so good at, which is making people sad...

Don't forget to review!

...Or else...

* * *

><p><span>Chapter Eight: What Once Was<span>

POV: Rosso the Crimson

CLOUD was completely unaware at the time that there was another set of eyes that had seen the event that had taken place on the deck. Rosso had also been a witness as to what happened last night. She had overseen it all from the window of Elena's room, having managed to leave her bed and go to the window to initially enjoy the view. You're probably wondering though: How did she manage to get out of the bed, and get back in it by the time Elena had come upstairs, or even how in the world she managed to get into a good enough position to look through the window, when it sits at least four feet high? The answer is simple of course… As Rosso gazed outside into the landscape and saw what an ass that the man had made of himself- there were two feet firmly planted on the shag carpeting…

It had happened two days ago, the day Cloud knocked Reno out. She had been utterly elated when she had gotten out of her bed to try and stand; she'd been trying behind Cloud's back ever since she first awoke to walk on her own two legs. As emotionally painful as it was to try day after day and yield no results, it was even more of a pain having to get back into bed each time. A few times she had almost been caught lying on the floor, but had been able to get back into the bed in time before anyone saw her. The last thing she wanted was for that stupid blond man to idiotically think that she was in the midst of another escape, and then she'd never hear the end of it. That day, though, she had finally achieved the results of her little tests that she'd been aching for. She hadn't been able to stand for more than a few seconds, after having not used the damn limbs in forever, nor having the energy, and her entire body having still been mind-numbingly sore. She toppled back onto the floor in seconds, but not without a grin on her face. No matter how long it had been, or how much it hurt like hell, nonetheless the fact remained- she stood, and things were only going to get better from there.

An even greater upside was the fact that no one else knew of her sudden recovery, and she could feign injury as long as she pleased and use a surprise advantage for her revenge. When they had first diagnosed her they had said she wouldn't be able to walk ever again, and then it changed to 'for about a month'. _They should have never underestimated the power of a Tsviet!_ Honestly though, she had even surprised herself with her elevated recovery abilities; when she had been run through in the stomach by that damn Restrictor back in Deepground it had taken forever for the damn festering wound to make a full recovery! Now with the ability of her legs having been returned to her, today (of course while no one was watching), she was doing slow, basic exercise drills, to return some of the strength to her legs. To her delight, the jackass Strife had decided to take a stroll in the woods, and she regularly checked from her window that overlooked the field leading into the forest to see if he was returning.

After one of those checks, she took a seat on the carpet to continue with her workout. Putting her legs straight out in font of her, she grabbed onto each of her ankles and leaned forward with all the weight of her upper body and pushed herself forward, a stretch that if done correctly pulled and loosened the hamstring and to a lesser extent the calve muscles in each leg. Feeling the familiar tug on her muscles she pulled herself down and forward more until her face was touching her knees. It hurt like hell at this point, and her legs were still sore after the trauma of those injuries she had suffered what felt like ages ago. _I am a Tsviet though… pain means nothing to me- this is nothing compared to what I have endured… We Tsviets welcome pain with open arms!_

Without warning the doorknob to her room began to turn, and the hinges began to creak. Like lightning Rosso stopped what she was doing and laid flat on her back knowing that she wouldn't make it back into the bed in time or would be caught in the act of standing. When the door had been opened it was the female Turks face that poked inside.

"Hello Rosso! I'm just check- What the?" Elena exclaimed startled at the sight of Rosso lying on the floor.

"Help! I've fallen and I can't get up!" Rosso stated.

"Are you okay?" Elena asked full of concern as she rushed to the woman's side.

"I'm fine, just help me up." Rosso responded.

"Just a second." the Turk said with conviction.

Elena scooped the crimson into her arms, and after a lot of struggling, and huffing-and-puffing the petite blond had finally managed to lift the woman back onto the bed panting in exhaustion. After a moment or so, she took the time to tuck Rosso back into bed. "What happened?"

"I'm not sure… I was having a nightmare… When I woke I found myself on the floor staring up at the ceiling."

"Why didn't you call for help silly-head?"

"I didn't have to; luckily… you had shown up not a second later. You came just in time." Rosso said.

"Oh… well I hope you don't' fall out of bed again anytime soon… you'll have to wait for one of the guys to come and get you, cause I'm spent!" Elena stated.

"Let's hope not… What is it that you wanted?"

"I came to check up on you, and to ask if you wanted anything."

Rosso was about to reply with a 'no' when something crossed her mind. "Umm yes actually..."

"What can I do for you?" Elena inquired.

"Do we perhaps have any energy drinks?"

"Uh-yeah… But, why would you want an energy drink?"

"No real reason. I'm just tired of sleeping all the time…" Rosso responded, though that was not exactly a full on lie. She _was_ tired of just lying on her ass all day; this was the first day she had been strong enough to do some exercises. An energy drink would certainly help in extending her workout for today. "Please, can you do that for me?"

"Um- sure. Be right back!" Elena called as she jetted downstairs. A minute or so later, she returned with a large bottle of red liquid, handing it over to Rosso. "Here you go! I'll leave you to yourself now. And no more falling out of bed okay?"

"Okay." Rosso said, faking a smile.

As soon as the door shut, and she heard the girl return downstairs, Rosso flew out of the bed feet hitting the floor to return to her workout routine. She took a moment though to look at the bottle in her hands, curious. The label had a catchphrase that stated: 'As potent as pumping Mako into your veins!' Rosso snickered at that. "Yeah right…"

* * *

><p>It must have been later in the afternoon, close to evening as the darkness of the night began to take hold of the sky, when a cacophony of noise, and yelling began to reach her ears from the floor below. Rosso, being the curious one decided to take a moment from the exercising she'd been doing all day and figure out what all that damn racket was coming from. <em>What is going on down there?<em> Light on her feet, she quietly opened the door to her room and made her way over to the stairway and hear all that was going on.

"...FOR SOME GODFORSAKEN PSYCHOTIC BITCH! TELL ME HOW THIS MAKES ANY SENSE!" Someone screamed at the top of their lungs. It sounded like a woman's voice, Rosso deduced. _She's probably referring to me… hehe, I take that as a compliment- well not the bitch part, but I don't mind having the reputation of a psychopath, it just makes my enemies' reactions upon seeing me enter the battle field all the more hilarious. _

"SHE IS NOT A PSYCHOTIC BITCH TIFA!" Strife responded all the more louder. That certainly perplexed the woman standing at the landing to the stairs. "She deserves my help just like anyone else would!" _Okay, let me get this straight- first you're having fun insulting me with that damn Turk, and now you're sticking up for me? What the hell is this guy's motive on fooling everybody? I'll figure you out eventually Strife…_

"But she's _not_ 'anyone else' Cloud! She's a Deepground soldier, our enemy; remember?" the woman replied, making a valid point. _Yes, yes! I am your enemy! Tremble in fear!_

"Correction! _Former_ Deepground soldier! Deepground no longer exists. Just like I can't call myself SOLDIER anymore even if I had made it in, she can no longer call herself a Tsviet… she is no longer our enemy." Strife attested. _Who the hell do you think you are Strife? I'll call myself a Tsviet if I want to, you can't control me! As long as there is still breath in my body the Tsviets shall live on!_

"You're just concocting excuses to make why you're doing this sensible, when it has no logic behind it at all!" the woman stated. Rosso didn't exactly know what she meant by that, but supposed that she was talking about how Strife saving her made no sense. _Yeah it doesn't make sense… I too would like to know his logic…_ she agreed with the woman.

"No logic…? No logic? I see perfect logic! I'm just taking care of her!" _Yes, but for what reason._

"Then leave it to doctors, and professionals! This is not your responsibility! So stop making it!" That proved that they were arguing about why Strife had taken her in. _That, I do not agree with… I do not want to go any where near the proximity of another doctor… I'd rip them to pieces before I even let them lay a hand on me!_

"It _isn't_ my responsibility! That is why they call stuff like this an act of selfless humanity! I'm only looking out for the well being of a fellow human being!" _But why do you find the need to help me, when you hate me? What is it? Do think you are prolonging my suffering by keeping me alive?_

"But she's _not_ a human being!" Tifa spat. _Tell me something I don't already know, darling!_

"So what are saying, huh? That I'm not human either?" Strife inquired, trying to turn the tables on her.

"Don't put words in my mouth. You may have similar stuff running though both of your veins. But she is a monster unlike you." _That I also do not agree with… Strife __**is**__ a monster- a monster in need of being put down…_

"But what if she's not anymore Tifa? What if she can change? What if I can change her Tifa?" _So that's the woman's name…?_

"She can't be changed!" Tifa countered. _Thank you! You can never change a Tsviet, let alone a killer! Once a killer, always a killer…_

"How do you know? Huh? How do you know? The battle is over… she has no reason left to fight… no one left to give her orders… and now she has so much left to live for…" Cloud stated in a more subdued tone. _No! I will keep fighting until the end of time itself! i do agree, however that I do have much more to live for- I live to extinguish the human race from this pitiful world! And I will start with you Strife…_

"You just don't get it do you Cloud? You're so intelligent, yet so dumb and blind…" Tifa also toned down, speaking softly. Rosso had nearly snickered, but kept it inside for fear of being found. "People like her… They don't need orders… they don't need battles… they just want to watch the world burn…" _A woman after my own heart! How do understand me so well Miss Tifa?_ "I just don't understand why you can't see it- when you've met someone like this before. Or have you forgotten already Cloud? Aren't nightmares supposed to be more memorable than dreams Cloud?" Rosso had no idea what she meant by that statement, only that she was trying to get appoint across. It seemed to work because Strife remained quite after that.

"Just trust me…" Strife pleaded quite pitifully after a while of silence. "Please… If things turn out bad then you can just say 'I told you so'… I have to do this Tifa- please understand…"

"I don't understand why… I don't get why you _want_ to shoulder this burden- and once again you do so without telling anybody beforehand…" Tifa expressed. _What? Has he done this before, perhaps?_ "Whatever Cloud… I just hope that you won't- no, you _are_ going to regret this."

"Even _if _things turn out for the worse, why should I regret doing what was right?" Cloud responded.

Tifa said nothing more after that, apparently giving in. _Strife, I promise you that you will regret this, once your body is drained of blood. You'll wish that you had never humiliated a Tsviet! I'll regain my honor just as you wished- by ripping you apart with my bare hands! I'll make you regret the moment you were born! I'll bathe in your blood, and use your intestines to hang your body!_

* * *

><p><span>POV: Cloud<span>

After it seemed the rather heated argument was finally over, Reeve cautiously walked over to the pair. "Umm… now that that's over, do you think that I can get down to business now?"

"Do whatever you want- I don't care…" Tifa stated.

"Cloud, if you wish to accompany me?" Reeve inquired as he made for the stairs, and the blond swordsman followed after the duo. Surprisingly, Tifa was also walking up the stairs behind the. Cloud decided against questioning her about it.

"I just want to see what this woman that you so willingly set us aside to care for is like." Tifa stated, sensing what Cloud wanted to ask.

Cloud gave a breathed a simple 'hmm' in response as the three of them climbed the steps up to the Crimson's room. Reeve entered the room first and walked over to Rosso's side, as she lay there calmly. Cloud and Tifa walked in after, standing by the foot of the bed.

"Rosso, this is the friend I was telling you about, the one that was to check up on you." Cloud stated to the red-head.

"I figured... here a little earlier than expected." The woman coolly spoke.

"Smooth flight." Reeve quipped with a slight smirk.

It even made Cloud smile that Rosso was being so cooperative and not as belligerent as she normally was, especially around people that she didn't know well. As he smiled though, he stole a glance to Tifa who was standing at his right, a deep scowl warping her countenance. Tifa was glaring at the woman at in the bed, a fiery and profound hatred lit her eyes, not wavering for a moment as they studied the woman lying before her. Cloud decided to do the only thing that he could do at a moment like this. Not wanting to disturb Reeve as removed some equipment from a case he had brought up with him, Cloud nudged the raven-head beside him in the gut, hoping to gain her attention. Her head turned only in the slightest, her eyes flicking over to Cloud, the scowl still upon her face. Cloud gave her a scowl just as bad, one he used whenever he was scolding Marlene or Denzel. It wasn't often, but it still needed to be used whenever he caught them doing something they shouldn't. Tifa didn't seem to get the hint, or just ignored it all together, because her eyes shot back to Rosso, the grimace, if possible, deepening even further. Cloud mentally sighed in resignation- _Things just got a whole lot tougher…_

Once Reeve had everything that he needed at the ready he began by asking a few questions from the woman not more than a few from where he was kneeling. "So, how are feeling Rosso?"

"I'm feel fine actually… not exactly 'battle shape' I don't think, but better than I have been feeling." The woman responded nicely. _Why's she being so nice?_

"Good, good… any aches, or pains of any kind?"

"Just the one's that I suppose are normal for my kinds of injuries." She replied.

"Hmm… and where are these aches coming from?"

"Lower back, legs… sometimes my shoulders stiff up, and there are times when I have these excruciating pains in the back of my neck and shoulder blades."

"And what kind pains would you describe them as, throbs?"

"More like stinging sores… like someone's putting a thousand blades to my skin."

"Hmm… anything you think will require medication?" Reeve asked.

"No I don't think so. Besides, like I said, I have been feeling better lately." She answered. _She'd probably deny medication anyway, whether they required it or not…_

"That's good… have you experienced any headaches, or migraines of any kind- and if so how severe?"

"I had experienced some minor headaches until a few days ago. They were an off and on kind of thing- they weren't that bad, more annoying than anything…"

"Okay... Have you experienced any stomach problems like an upset stomach, cramps, stomach aches of any kind, and have you had any trouble going to the bathroom."

"No haven't."

"Is that a negative to both?"

"Yes it is." She seemed so normal, answering questions so honestly and calmly. _Interesting… _

"Good… Have you been eating well?"

"Yes I have- they do happen to feed me well here I'll admit." Rosso stated almost jokingly.

"Have you been getting a steady supply of calcium and vitamins? It is rather important that you do, so as to help along the recovery of your bone structure as much as you can."

"Yes I have."

"That's good to know…" Reeve said aloud as he jotted this all down on a clipboard. "Random question, but have been bathed regularly? You should Preferably be bathed at least every three to four days considering your condition, though everyday would probably be best."

"As a matter of fact I just took a bath the other day." Rosso responded truthfully.

"Good- and you smell lovely." Reeve complimented.

"Why thank you!"

_What the hell is going on here? Rosso, thanking someone! Someone tell me what the hell is going __on here! _From the corner of his eye Cloud could tell that the same thing must have also been on Tifa's mind as well, for her steady glare so full of ire, had changed to that of pure astonishment, and confusion. Even her mouth sat hanging open in awe and wonder.

"Now before we continue is there anything that you would like to ask me, or talk to me about regarding your physical health. If you have anything to talk about in regard to your mental health, you can talk to me now, and I'll be sure to put you in touch with someone with more expertise in that area."

"No nothing at all."

With that, Reeve proceeded in continuing with normal check-up procedures; checking her eyes, ears, mouth and throat with a light. With all the handy equipment that Reeve had at the ready, he even did a test for hearing, and blood pressure, Rosso getting good marks on both. "If it's okay I'd like to ask you both to leave at this moment. We still have more things to check." Reeve stated, for the first time turning to the two other occupants of the room.

Cloud nodded politely, turning to the door and opening it, as Tifa followed suit and closed it behind her. They both walked over to Elena's room, it being empty at the moment. "I don't like it!" Tifa exclaimed as soon as they were inside.

"What don't you like?" Cloud sighed.

"This!" Tifa replied waving her hand about. "She's faking it, I know she is."

"Tifa…" Cloud tried.

"Why is she being so nice? It makes no sense! She's planning something- I know it…" Tifa said turning her back to Cloud and biting her thumbnail in thought.

The corners of his lips twitched upwards into a slight smile as he gazed at her back. He began to wonder if he still had feelings for the woman he used to be madly in love with (though he knew he never really expressed it very well). _Well she is still my best friend, though we may disagree… _Cloud decided. _And she's always been there for me, sticking with me even though I had so many damn issues…_. _Then again… it could just be that she did it because she was in love with me, and now that she has Rude- things have really changed…_ Cloud left it at that, walking over to Tifa who still had her back turned. "Whatever happened to the patient, empathetic, and non-judgmental Tifa I used to know?" Cloud asked aloud as he laid both his hands on both her shoulders.

Tifa turned around in his hold, looking into his deep blue, glowing eyes. "I- just… I just don't want to see you get hurt."

"I'll be fine Tifa." Cloud assured her. "This is what I want."

"No… you mean it's _her_ you want." Tifa evenly said, a bit hurt showing in her voice.

It hit Cloud like a ton of bricks at that moment. When it finally became evident to Cloud, his smile vanished. "Is _that_ what this is about? _Jealousy?_"

"Listen Cloud… I should have told you a long time ago- but I was too afraid to say anything at the time… the truth is…" Tifa began, though Cloud already had an idea of what she was going to say. "I felt so unappreciated and unloved around you, Cloud. Somehow I knew that deep down you truly did love me though… so I-"

"So you went out with Rude to get my attention." Cloud finished her sentence.

"…Yes…" Tifa admitted after a moment of silence. "I was just trying to get your attention I guess…"

"By betraying me?" Cloud saw his words did a number on her.

"I never-!"

"Yes you did Tifa." Cloud cut her off. "By going with another man with the intentions that you had, you betrayed me… and not only me but Rude as well. Think of how hurt _he'll_ be once he finds out that your love was never anything but a lie; a ruse just to spur _me_ on." Cloud continued.

"Cloud, don't you see? I love you!" Tifa exclaimed, her announcement falling on deaf ears.

"How could I ever trust you again?"

Tifa appeared on the verge of exploding. "This isn't how it was supposed to be! You were supposed to realize what you lost, and come running back to me to sweep me off my feet. To proclaim your love for me and take me back from Rude like my knight in shining armor! It's all her fault!" Tifa screamed, tears on the brink of spilling forth. "You did the opposite! You tuned your back on me, and went to _her_ instead! You weren't supposed to fall in love with another woman!"

"What difference does it make what I do, or who I choose to fall in love with?" Cloud demanded.

Tifa gasped in astonishment. "So you aren't denying that you're in love with her? Is that why you saved her? Why you refuse to hear my warnings?"

"I'm not confirming anything! Don't try to change the subject! You know what you did was wrong, but you went with it anyway!"

"Cloud… don't do this… let's just put this behind us, go home, and renew our love." Tifa pleaded placing hand on Cloud's arm.

"No Tifa." Cloud said shrugging her hand off his arm. "After learning about what you've done… I'm not so sure I can ever think of you the same way again… I'm sure- if I love you anymore Tifa…" Cloud stated intending on hurting the woman, but also stating the truth.

The tears finally ran from her deep wine eyes, despair taking her over. "Don't say that Cloud… I love you…"

"I'm not sure you do Tifa… and I can no longer trust you… just leave me alone…" Cloud ordered, being just as hurt inside as Tifa looked on the outside. It looked like Tifa was going to say more, but took Cloud's advice and strode past him rushing downstairs in a fit of tears. He could swear he heard her mumble something like 'Why does he love her?' as she made it to the stairs, but couldn't be sure. He sighed deeply as he took a seat on the edge of the bed, his mind a haze of confusion, pain, and anger. _Why would she do something like that…? What gives her the right to toy with people's emotions that way? I need someone… I need someone now… I need someone to hold… I've thought about you, of course I have- but… for the first time in a long time I really, truly wish you were here right now, mom… I need a hug damnit!_

For whatever reason, Cloud found himself looking back on his childhood... and his parents…

…

**A Final Farewell**

Cloud had been five at the time, when his father had put together a last minute vacation to Costa Del Sol a beach-town resort, said to have 'fun for all ages!'. Cloud had heard about it, as had all the children his age, so he had been all the more excited about the getaway when he discovered their plans. His family wasn't exactly what you would call rich, so they were grateful for everything that they had. His father after all was only a simple security guard in the Shinra military, and his mother only a simple seamstress back in their home village nestled in the mountains.

The trip technically wasn't last minute for his father though… the man had been saving up money from paycheck after paycheck, for their 'little getaway from the monotony of normal, everyday life' he remembered his father saying.

Cloud couldn't remember much about his father at all; the man was rarely ever around, having to always be away wherever Shinra thought to assign him next. Whenever he was around though, Cloud always remembered having the time of his life, playing and joking around with his father; he was very much a 'Papa's boy' in every sense of the word. They'd stay up all night watching movies and playing mindless games, at the man's hardened insistence to his mother that they get 'father son time' together before his next assignment.

His father, he could remember, bright, golden-blond locks like he and his mother. Cloud's face was a unique combination of traits of his father, and his mother; in fact the three of them could hardly be told apart from one another. You might say they were twins had you seen his father and mother standing side-by-side; of course they weren't, but they certainly were made for one another, and were surely happy together despite the circumstances they sometimes found themselves in as a result of his father's occupation. They certainly had arguments just like in any other marriage, but they never stayed mad at each other for long, the heated exchange of words always ending with them tangled in each other's arms and their lips interlocked, dispelling any further statements. Another fact he could remember was his father had also been a man of short stature, only coming to a frightening 5'7, only as tall as Cloud would eventually become, unfortunately. Of course though, that was a giant to someone as young as Cloud was.

Though he could remember these things of him, they were really nothing more than hazy images, and generalizations based on what his mother had told him when he grew older, and his own puzzle of memories. In all honesty he couldn't remember his old man's face at all any more; a fact that constantly plagued him. The thing he could remember as clear as day, though, was the man's bright, luminous, soul-searching sky-blue eyes, as deep as the ocean. How they lit up with the man's comforting smile, and how they had some inane ability to calm him and make him feel at peace whenever he looked into those two blue pools.

That's what he remembered looking into as he said his good-byes to his father on his next trip to remote place called Wutai. Apparently a war had begun, a war between Shinra and the people of the large village.

"But what if I never see you again?" the young Cloud innocently asked of the man, as he kissed his mother good-bye.

"You will see me again, okay?" the man replied.

"But-" the boy started, as his father kneeled down in front of him.

"Tell you what… I had been planning on keeping this a surprise- but…" that was probably what he was most grateful for, his father talked to him like he were grown, and not down to him like a baby, though he was. "See I had been planning a little vacation for the three of us, To make a little getaway from the monotony of normal, everyday life. Wanna guess where? I'll give you a hint: it's someplace you've always wanted to go but never could."

"No…!" Cloud's jaw dropped in surprise and awe.

"Yup, Costa Del Sol!" his father confirmed, a smile plastered on his face as he took in Cloud's expression. "We'll go as soon as I return two weeks from now."

"Can you afford it?" his mom's voice cut in.

"I've been saving up; actually… if you don't believe me, you'll find my hidden stash under that loose floorboard in our room."

"You promise right?" Cloud inquired

"I promise…" the man replied returning his attention to the sunshine of his life.

"Cross your heart?"

"Cross my heart and hope to die!" he assured, making a cross over his chest with his index finger. "Now give dad a hug, you little 'papa's boy'!" he commanded as Cloud threw himself at the man as he picked him off the ground and into his arms.

"I love you son." The deep, comforting baritone voice breezed past his ear.

"I love you more!" Cloud exclaimed.

"I love you most." He responded, putting the boy down and ruffling his golden locks, as he smoothed out his own unruly, wild, and untamed golden spikes. "And here, take this…" he said as he handed Cloud a silver pocket watch with a beautiful design of angel's wings etched onto the cover. "It used to be my father's before me… so keep it safe, okay Cloud?"

"Okay…" Cloud answered looking at the object with awe.

"Love you darling, good-bye." He said to Missus Strife, planting a sweet chaste kiss on her lips before turning around and heading towards a military jeep that had waiting nearby the whole time. "And don't worry!" he called out, his head turned in their direction. "I'm coming back, no matter what! I've got that promise to keep remember!"

"We know!" his mom called back, her eyes brimming with tears, though she had a smile of pure happiness and love upon her face.

That was all Cloud could remember of that moment; his slowly departing father in the distance and the firm grip of his mother's hands on his shoulders, as the tears trickled down her face. Oh, that's right! There was one more thing he could remember! His father… wasn't able to keep that promise…

Two weeks later, the day of the trip, they got a letter… Carlyle Ze'ev Strife, his loving father had died on the line of duty, his body unable to be recovered. He died while guarding an encampment that had suffered a surprise attack by Wutai troops who believed that a squad of SOLDIERS, including the then steadily rising to fame SOLDIER 1st Class Sephiroth, had been placed there, when in fact it was simply a medical encampment for SOLDIERS- who had been injured in battle. The letter stated he was to receive the Medal of Honor, for his heroic actions of throwing himself on a live grenade saving the lives of all the injured SOLDIERS, and all his fellow guardsmen, including a certain SOLDIER 1st Class Angeal Hewley, who had been placed there after sustaining an injury on the field.

That day he ceased to be 'papa's boy'… from that day he took on his father's signature spiky hair-style as his own as own form of commemorating him, and keeping the memory of him close. That fire in Nibelheim, had not only taken his mother but also any semblance of his father as well. All the photo albums that his mother had so precariously made were utterly destroyed, along with the pocket watch that he had told his mother to keep an eye on when he left for Shinra.

His mother and he from that day had spent many sleepless nights grieving for the man they had loved with all their hearts, and many other nights spent having to cry themselves to sleep just to get some form of rest. Cloud had spent the night the letter came lying awake in his bed repeatedly asking himself one question as he rocked back and forth and bawled away, his mother looking on helplessly from the doorway: "Why'd I make you cross your heart? WHY'D I MAKE YOU CROSS YOUR HEART?"

…

I love you papa!

I love _you_ Cloud… more than you'll ever know…

* * *

><p><strong>Cold Hard Facts:<strong> Carlyle Strife's middle name Ze'ev is Hebrew for 'wolf'.

**Author's Note:** I chose for the vacation place to be Costa Del Sol, because i had initially chosen Gold Saucer, but discovered upon research that it wasn't built until FF7's year 0003 after Corel's destruction, at which time Cloud would be much older, his father already dead, and was at the time, being experimented on in Nibelheim by Hojo, since the Nibelheim incident occured in 0002. So since the Ol' Saucer was thrown out the window, I chose Cost Del Sol, since it seems like the second best vacation spot, and would've probably been the 'it' place before the Saucer was put up over Corel.


	9. Prelude The First

**Author's Note: **I'm on a roll! This isn't exactly the main story however, chapter nine will come later. So enjoy this little side-story thing-a-mah-jig while you wait. Think of it as an intermission... It _does_ have relevance to the story though, so it's not like it's completely useless...

**Warning: **Just slight gore, and bloody stuff, but nothing too extreme since I'm not good at describing disembowelment or anything of the sort...

Read and Review Pretty Please!

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><p><span>Prelude the First: <span>SOLDIER Unit 14-Lost Force

POV: Carlyle Ze'ev Strife

**[ μ ] – εуλ 1992**

SOLDIER Unit 14… better known as 'Lost Force' to the few that knew of their existence… Of course the group had begun just as any other SOLDIER unit… They were a group of highly trained 2nd Class SOLDIERS who had proved their worth time and again in many of Shinra's more covert operations across the globe. If not for the fact that each of the unit's operatives wore the signature 2nd class uniform and how their eyes glowed with mako infusion they could've been easily mistaken for a branch of the Department of Administrative Research. The operatives were chosen by the president himself, after he decided that he wanted a secret SOLDIER unit that would take orders directly from him and only him. The operatives that were chosen were literally the best of the best. Among the operatives were Corporals Jake Verne and Malik Stuthers; Sergeants Marcus Flint, Auron Velcious and Cameron Belkan; Sergeant Major Attacus Solaris; Lieutenant Osiris Daynim; and Captain Carlyle Strife…

* * *

><p>"And don't worry!" the captain called out, his head turned in the direction of his wife and son, as he walked towards the military jeep that had been waiting for him. "I'm coming back, no matter what! I've got that promise to keep remember!"<p>

"We know!" the man's wife called back to him.

The man climbed into the back of the truck, with a belated sigh, not exactly excited that he was going back to the field so soon after his last assignment. It figured that this also had to be his 'Cut-off assignment' as his team had nicknamed them… Each of the members of his unit had already went through the process; he'd been lucky enough to have been able to hold his off for this long, but under special orders from the president of Shinra himself he was forced to cut ties with his family. That was exactly what this 'Cut-off assignment' was designed for. They would send their unit on a mission, and one of the members would be chosen to be the 'Fall-Guy', or the one whose death was to be faked so as to cut off all ties with family and friends. Carlyle had been able to hold his off for this long, which was a miracle in and of itself; but he could not, unfortunately, hold it off any longer… _I'm so sorry that I won't be able to keep my promise Cloud… after this mission, I'll only be known as a dead man…_

"I know this is your 'Cut-off' mission and all, but what do you think this is actually about, Captain Sir?" his Corporal, Jake Verne asked politely once he'd been settled in.

"Just the normal, Corporal…" Carlyle lazily responded with a sigh, as he stripped himself of the security guard uniform he put on for show around his family, and slipped into his SOLDIER uniform. _Sucks that I have to keep this a secret from my own family… but if I ever told them anything, the president would skin me alive; and I don't even want to know what he'd do to my family…_

"Hey, you'll be alright Captain." His other Corporal, Malik Stuthers, tried to ease his tension. "You'll still have your life, right? That's all that matters… you'll still be alive."

"You're right Stuthers… life _is _all that matters… and I just left _mine_ behind…" Carlyle expressed, as Stuther's head lowered.

"Yeah… I know what you mean…" his Lieutenant and good friend Osiris agreed laying a hand on the blond's shoulder. He was the only operative of the unit, other than Carlyle who had a wife and child of his own, so the two had always understood each other well. "I guess this is the price we pay for living out our dreams…" the man shrugged, reminding Carlyle of another SOLDIER he knew. He _had_ been mentored for a while by 1st Class, Angeal Hewley, after all. He was called 'the heart of SOLDIER', known for his unwavering and firm belief in following one's dreams, and keeping one's honor, and even Osiris would admit that some of that had rubbed off on him.

"I'm just starting to wonder if it _is_ worth the price." The captain stated looking his friend in the eyes, and giving a sad smile.

"Hey! Don't say that, Cap!" Sergeant Auron said. "We all went through it, I'm sure you can too, Cap!"

"Thanks guys…" Carlyle said, almost forgetting that each of his 'boys', as he like to call them had each gone through the same thing, even Osiris…

"No problem Captain!" Sergeant Marcus Flint quipped.

Suddenly a voice from the far side spoke, the man who owned it was sitting on a seat against the wall separating the cabin from the driver up front. "You should be _happy_ it lasted this long…" the man emotionlessly stated, looking out the window to his right, not even looking him in the eye. Each of the group turned their heads in his direction, brows furrowed.

"Don't listen to Attacus…You know he's a little bit of a hot head… Cameron leaned over, whispering to him. "And he's just got a stick up his ass!" he exclaimed looking in said man's direction, as the rest of the unit burst into laughter. _Even_ Attacus smiled as he continued looking out the window.

"Least I don't wear woman's underwear…" Attacus stated aloud, as Cameron's face lit up like a tomato.

"Hey that was just once! And it was part of a bet I lost!" He stuttered out, looking around at all the faces of his comrades who had burst into even greater laughter. "You've gotta believe me!" he pleaded. "Guys? Guys…?" he whimpered, before turning to Carlyle a look of earnest upon his face. "Captain?"

Carlyle just went into an even greater fit of mirth.

* * *

><p>After crossing the treacherous trip up the Nibel Mountains, the jeep had taken the unit over to Rocket Town. From there they had taken a small military transport over to the West Continent where Wutai resided. The whole trip had taken little more than two and half days, and they had finally arrived on the beaches of Wutai, far from the actual village itself to remain unspotted. Each grabbed the supplies they had taken with them for this venture into enemy territory, Carlyle himself grabbing two large bags, hoisting them onto his shoulders as he looked over to the looming Wutai Mountains ahead. <em>Having to come here so soon after coming here last is a drag…<em>

"Finally here…" the driver huffed, as he shut off the small transport. "I've been transporting Shinra personnel for a while now, but never have I taken a SOLDIER unit over here."

"Well we're on a special mission!" Jake excitedly stated, not hearing the scolding call of his name by Osiris. "Being the Lost Force and all, we have to be real stealthy in everything we do, which is why the Captain over there booked us on such a small transport instead of some large military cargo ship!" Carlyle internally sighed…

"You're the Lost Force!" the driver exclaimed, he was going to have all kinds of stories to tell his friends back home now!

"Corporal!" Osiris got his attention, shaking his head in a scolding manner. It finally hit Jake what he had done, his mouth hanging open in the semblance of a comical 'O'.

"Attacus…" Carlyle gave the command, not even turning his head from the mountains. He knew his command was carried out once he heard the silent gunshot and the sickening crunch of a body hitting the floor of the boat, sounds all heightened by his enhanced hearing.

"Done." His sergeant major called out once the splash the body made in the water rang out.

"Let's move..." Carlyle commanded his unit.

"Sorry!" Jake said, peering overboard to the body sinking to the bottom. Malik came over and grabbed his arm yanking him along with the rest of the unit. "Sorry…" he repeated, this time to the group.

"Gaia, Corporal!" Auron exclaimed as Jake and Malik caught up. "What is that? The ninth guy now?"

"Tenth…" Attacus corrected, he was in the know, having been the one to kill and dump them all. "Right Captain?"

"Yeah…" Carlyle sighed not very interested.

"Gaia, Verne!" Auron repeated.

"Sorry! I just can't help my mouth sometimes! You know I like to talk!"

"You need to learn to shut it already." Osiris stated, as they all began the arduous climb up the mountain face. "It's not a very honorable thing to do, endangering lives because of your own carelessness!"

"Sorry… Poor guy…" Jake breathed one last time, before they all fell into silence, making their way up the steep mountain.

When they had made it about half-way up the mountain, they had been able to locate a trail that took them around it, shortening their climb, and cutting down their travel time. Once they made it on the other side of the mountain, Carlyle stopped the group and turned to them. "Okay… this is where we'll set up camp. Everyone, suit up!" he commanded, as each of his operatives nodded.

Each of the group removed a helmet from the now opened bag at Carlyle's side, slipping them on and setting down the visors, the visors being slightly longer than normal SOLDIER attire, and covered each of their faces completely from view. The only ones to _strip_ themselves of their equipment were Malik and Jake, instead putting on the standard SOLDIER medical division uniforms. They each lifted up their visors as they sat around the radio waiting.

"Man, I hate wearing these things…" Marcus said aloud, indicating the helmets.

"Stop complaining…" Osiris chastised.

The next ten or so minutes were spent, setting up camp, the tent stylized into a fake medical tent. The unit had done this procedure many times before, and knew the drill practically by memory. They set up the radio, and tuned it to the correct frequency waiting for a call to come in. About two hours passed before they finally got the call they'd been waiting for: "We need a medic!" the voice blazed on the other end. "This is operative S-9013712, Lieutenant Dallas of SOLDIER unit 12! Do you copy?"

Carlyle nodded in Osiris' direction, and he quickly went to work. "This is Medical division Bravo Three, we copy. State your situation, Lieutenant."

"We've got a large amount of injured SOLDIER operatives over here in sector G-14, after a mine was triggered! We request immediate medical attention! Do you copy?"

"Roger, in G-14. How many, Lieutenant?"

"Between twelve and fourteen!" the entire group nearly whooped for joy, before Carlyle held his hand up, though a smirk alighted his lips. He then waved his hand in a circle in a 'keep going' gesture to his Lieutenant.

"Is the area secure?"

"Yes, but we are still on high alert, we expect them to return at any moment! We suggest that you send a double escort for safety purposes, and get some transports for the amount of injuries you'll be dealing with! Do you copy?"

"Copy, Lieutenant… We're sending a double team now; over and out." Osiris finished.

"Over!" the man on the other end said, as static took over the channel, and Osiris put the device back on the radio.

"Alright!" Cameron exclaimed. "First catch of the day and it's a big one!" Carlyle couldn't help but smile as well, as the rest of them whooped.

"This is just what we needed…" Carlyle said. "Alright, they want two teams so you guys get your asses over there! And don't leave any behind, not one!"

"Yes sir!" they all chimed.

A medical team consisted of a medic, and two 2nd Class SOLDIER escorts, or three 3rd Class escorts. Jake, Marcus and Attacus made one team, Jake being the "medic". Malik, the other "medic", Cameron, and Auron made up the other. Both teams got up from there positions and made their way over to G-14, each pulling down their visors, as Carlyle yelled out a 'Move out!'

Carlyle turns to Osiris once they are gone. "You know what to do. And remember to use your fake operative number." Carlyle says to Osiris who picks the receiver back up.

"This is operative S-9053709 Lieutenant Henry Garvel of SOLDIER unit 9, requesting that you send additional escorts to accompany our two medical teams that were sent out to sector G-14 on medical case file MI-209. We also request that you do so with medical transports, to carry, at the most, fourteen casualties back here to camp Bravo Three in sector B-04. Do you copy?"

"This is Central Command speaking, we copy Lieutenant Garvel. We are processing your request now..." the man on the other end replied. After about thirty seconds, the voice retuned on the line. "Lieutenant Garvel? Do you copy?"

"Yes sir, we copy."

"In regard to medical case MI-209, we hereby approve of your request to send additional escorts and transports to carry casualties back to camp Bravo Three. They'll be there within the minute. Over and out."

"Over and out." Osiris returned, again placing the receiver back on the radio.

"Now reroute the signal to the other medical encampments so we don't get any more calls." Carlyle said to Osiris who did as he was told with a flick of a switch.

Now it was just the two of them, alone, while the others retrieved the injured SOLDIERS of battle. "I'm sorry that this has to happen…" Osiris sadly empathizes.

"It's all right… it's my duty as SOLDIER…" Carlyle said, despite his feelings of remorse. _In a way this is what I want… I'll just be a danger to them by sticking around…_

"I remember the time I visited you and your family those couple years ago… that Cloud sure was the hyper one!" him friend reminisced.

"Yeah…" Carlyle says, a smile coming to his lips, as he thinks about the young boy. "I hate to break his heart like this… but it's for the better…" Carlyle sticks a hand into his back pocket, pulling out his single brown leather wallet, and opening it. Pulling out a small piece of paper he hands it to Osiris. "That's Cloud now."

Osiris lets a chuckle bubble up his throat as he looks at the child and his bright blue eyes. "He has your eyes. Cute little thing…" he says handing back the photo, and taking his own from his pocket. "That's my little girl… you've met her before."

Carlyle takes the photo with a smile. "Yeah… I remember she called me a 'Chocobo'." He looks down at the photo, the little girl with her dark-brown red-hued hair staring back at him with a bright contagious smile.

"I remember that!" Osiris laughs. "She's three now."

"Little Amethyst..." Carlyle chuckles.

"Yup, the jewel of my life! Well not anymore I suppose…" Osiris looks down depressed. "Do you think we did the right thing?" he inquired looking back up at Carlyle, as he took back his photo.

"I damn well hope so Osiris! After giving up everything we had left to live for… I sure damn well hope so…" he looks off into the distance.

* * *

><p>About a good fifteen minutes of waiting later, the medical transports came knocking on the door step of their camp. Carlyle and Osiris went over to meet them.<p>

"Operative S-9058102 Corporal Roderick Manes of SOLDIER unit two, Captain Sir!" one of the medics ran up to him, giving a formal salute.

Carlyle saluted back. "Captain Jarvis Maynard, operative S-9035709 of SOLDIER unit 9."

"We have successfully recovered and transported all fourteen injured operatives off the battle field of sector G-14, with no resistance of any kind. In regards to case MI-209 I find it safe to assume this case as successfully closed! Do you have any objections to that Captain Sir?"

"No I do not Corporal… you may report it in to Central Command." Carlyle or rather "Jarvis" confirmed.

"Do you mind signing this letter of confirmation Sir?" the man asked holding out a paper attached to a clipboard.

"No I do not." Carlyle stated, taking the clipboard and quickly signing his "name" in a quick flourish.

"Thank you Sir!" the man saluted before walking off and helping the others with moving the people into the tent. After that was all said and done with, another officer walked over to where Carlyle and Osiris stood. Sensing the man coming up behind him, both of the men turned to regard the officer before them.

"I am operative S-9077302 Sergeant Fury of SOLDIER unit two." He announced with a salute. "I have a question if you don't mind sir…"

"Go ahead Sergeant…" Carlyle egged him on, as the rest of the Lost Force gathered near the two, and the rest of unit two came over standing behind the Sergeant in curiosity."

"Might you state your call-sign first, Sir?"

"Very well… I am Captain Jarvis Maynard, operative S-9035709 of SOLDIER unit 9… now go on…"

"See the thing is, that man Corporal Jason Ulthrus stated he was from unit 14…"

Carlyle shot Jake a look that said 'I'm killing you after this', before looking suspiciously to the Sergeant. "What of it Sergeant Fury? It is not uncommon for different SOLDIER units to work together, especially now that we are in a time of war. What's your point?"

"My point is… unit 14 does not exist…"

"Wutai spies!" a man behind Fury spat, about to grab the sword from off his back, before the Sergeant held his hand up to stop him.

"Unit 14 isn't _supposed _to exist is what I meant to say… You're Lost Force aren't you?" he asked indicating Carlyle and his team.

The whole of his team looked to their captain, panic upon their faces (if you could see them past their visors), but Carlyle looked rather quite calm and collected. "Perhaps we are…" Carlyle said, to the stunned awe of everybody present, including his unit. "I'm afraid I haven't been entirely truthful with you Sergeant Fury… I am really Captain Carlyle Strife of Nibelheim, operative S-9065214 of SOLDIER unit 14, better known as, to the few that do, as Lost Force…" with each word he had taken a small step closer to the man, now standing just a few feet away. "And this is my unit…" he said turning around and indicating the men behind him. "However I'm so sorry to say… now that you know this... you must die…" he condemned to the eight people standing transfixed, and bewildered before him. Attacus stepped forward ready to take care of the dirty work as he always did, but was stopped when Carlyle asked him to. "Attacus… you don't need to… you've already worked so hard today, moving bloody people and all…"

"Then who, Captain? Cameron?" Attacus wondered, as Cameron usually was the other dirty work man (though technically they all do dirty work). Cameron was about to step forward as well, suspecting the same, but was also stopped.

"No… I will take care of them myself…" the entire Lost Force was struck and rooted to the ground all purely dumbfounded. It was an extremely ultra rare event to see their Captain in action, and they reveled in every chance they got to see it. From two holsters that had been strapped to hips the entire time he drew two slim hunks of metal their style somewhat reminiscent of firearms of some sort. Then suddenly they shifted, gears twisting, to reveal a blade-firearm combination of a weapon. He had a loose grip on their curved hilts; they were elegant, deadly, honed, and sharpened tools of destruction. As much of an honor and rarity it was to their Captain fight, it was an even greater honor to see his gunblades out of their cozy holsters.

With a startling, inhuman, lightning-like speed he had sped past the Sergeant and let his blade cleave flesh. Shocked, and scared, unit 2 looked around wondering where the demon had gone. Finally looking behind them, all the operatives of unit 2 gasped in shock as they saw the blond haired demon standing behind them, probably wondering how he got back there. The man's legs were apart, his arm still outstretched his blade in hand, standing like a statue as if he'd been frozen after having attacked an opponent. Something was off however… what was it…? Ah! Why's his blade dripping with blood? Who did he get? Looking back to their Sergeant, they realized that ever since the man had drawn his weapons Sergeant Fury hadn't moved even an inch from his spot.

"Sergeant?" one of the man asked in worry.

As if to answer him, the Sergeant looked back at his comrade, a look of horror upon his face… a face that was currently lying on the floor having been severed from its body, as blood oozed out of the now collapsing body like a geyzer.

"He's a demon!" one man yelled. Then Carlyle was suddenly standing in front of him, glowering down at him, malice, hatred, and disgust burning in his eyes. One minute the man had been standing there gaping at the blond demon in front of him, and the next he was flailing his arms and legs about in the air as he was run through with one of the blades and lifted from the ground. An ear-shattering bang cut through the air, as the man was launched twenty feet backwards, his body crumpling into a heap of useless flesh.

"All too easy…" Carlyle emotionlessly drawled.

"What the fuck are those things? A sword that fires bullets, what the fuck?" one of the operatives screamed.

One of the men, gathered his courage and ran forward blade in hand, and yelling all the way as he ran up to Carlyle. The blond just stood there looking in the completely opposite direction. When the man's blade came down in a diagonal ark attempting to cut him down, all his edge met was air. This is why Carlyle had a nickname amongst his comrades: 'The Demon Mirage'… no man had ever even had the pleasure of even laying a blow on the blond… his enemies were doomed from the moment they became enemies in his eyes… Pain began to swell along the poor man's torso, and looked down as blood began to stain his uniform. Then his eyes popped out of their sockets in horror as gravity began to carry him down to the floor, but his lower torso fell in the other direction; his intestines spilled out across the grass and soil as he hit the floor with a shriek.

Carlyle was still low in a fighting stance, staring at the rest of his comrades, turned enemies. He couldn't let them get out of Wutai alive, not with the information they now possessed, but what was wrong with having fun in the process? His lips tuned upright into a devilish smirk, his hair matted with blood. He stared at them, daring them to attack first… Each of his comrades of unit 14 chuckled at the sight, taking in every single moment with hungry eyes...

"It's been awhile since I've smelt the sweet scent of blood… isn't that right Erinyes?" the demon asked of the blade in his right hand; It almost looked like it shivered in joy, responding to his question.

He dashed forward, the screams of the damned ringing in his ears…

His blade arced down like lightning…

The last thing the men of unit two saw…

Were not the soft and pure sky-blue eyes the man always had, or even green slitted eyes…

Nor did they see hatred or anger in those eyes…

Instead what they saw were eyes the color of crimson…

The color of blood…

With a glint of pure manic delight flashing among them…

* * *

><p><strong>Cold Hard Facts:<strong> Erinyes, the name of one of Carlyle's gunblades is named after the Greek deities of vengeance.


	10. Chapter Nine: Distinct Impossibility

**Author's Note:** I'm so very sorry for not updating in so long... I've just been so caught up with school, applying to college, laziness, writer's block, and the computer acting stupid (what a horrible combo). However, now that I got a sexy and new laptop updates should come more routinely. Thanks to all those still reading this story, I know I haven't been the most reliable author, but stick around and I'll try and make it worth your while.

**Shout Outs:** All the awesome reviews, favorites, and story alerts despite the fact that I haven't updated in forever, and to everyone still reading!

Enjoy! Review if you can, support is always nice!

* * *

><p>Chapter<span> Nine: Distinct Impossibility<span>

POV: Reeve Tuesti

BACK within the comfort of his quarters aboard the Shera, which was still docked in Icicle Inn, Reeve was looking over his results for his latest tests. Deeply engrossed within the data upon his screen, and the microscope at his side, he didn't notice at all when the door to his lab had been opened, and a figure took a spot standing over him.

"Hello Reeve." The gruff greeting made the man jump ten feet in the air

"Ah!" The man yelped in shock. "Cloud I didn't notice you back there…"

"Sorry about that…" the man apologized, though he could repress the slight grin that worked its way over his lips.

"No biggie- just… can I help you?" Reeve inquired, wondering what the blond was doing aboard the Shera.

"I just came by to ask how the check-up went with Rosso. Is she fine?" Cloud asked.

"Yes, perfectly- well for this stage of course. She's far from fully healed, but she's definitely well on her way. You've done a fine job Cloud."

"I really haven't done anything…" Cloud remarked.

"Don't say that. For one she wouldn't be alive if it weren't for you, and she's proceeding along well thanks to your wonderful job with her mako injections."

"…Actually, I just forgot to give her her Mako injection this morning." Cloud stated, putting on a guilty face. Upon Reeve's cold stare, the look was quickly replaced with that of wicked humor. "Kidding! Don't get worked up Reeve, you'll turn your hair gray."

"Glad to see you've still got your same dry sense of humor…" Reeve said with a smirk, before turning back to his computer screen. "Anyway, Rosso is doing perfectly fine… by the way- did she catch a cold?"

"…Yeah, she did… I almost forgot. I may as well tell you how she caught it, you might get a good laugh out of it…" Cloud stated reluctantly. "The first day she woke, she had tried escaping. Made it pretty far too, she was a good way into the forest when I tracked her, though it was pretty easy to follow the scent of blood."

"Blood?"

"Yeah, one of her wounds had reopened… had to stitch it back up. I'm not exactly sure how long she was out there… the blood wasn't that fresh, but anyway she caught one from sitting out there in the cold obviously. She was only coughing for like a day, and it stopped completely."

"Yeah, she's got a crazy good immune system." Reeve stated. "Actually, now that I think about, I'm really glad you came. You wouldn't mind if I took a tissue and blood sample would you?"

"No… but what for?" Cloud asked.

"I'd like to compare it to Rosso's. Seeing as SOLDIER is a dead species, there really is no one else I can compare her Mako count with. I want to make absolute certain that she is healthy. It'll only take a moment to cross-examine the samples, so you can stay if you want. With Cloud's 'hmmed' response Reeve took to getting the samples he needed and then examined them under the microscope, and Cloud found himself a seat nearby to wait.

After a while of careful observation, the raven-head exclaimed in sudden astonishment. "Impossible!"

"What? What's wrong?" Cloud stuttered rushing over to the man's side. "Reeve? What's wrong?"

"This just can't be…" Reeve muttered softly, though Cloud picked it up thanks to his enhanced hearing. Reeve put one hand to his forehead, feeling a headache settle in.

"Would you tell me what's up already? Is something wrong with Rosso?"

"No…" Reeve stated, bringing a relieved sigh from Cloud's lips. "It's what's wrong with you…"

"…" Cloud stared back at him in bewilderment. "What are you talking about? Make some sense."

Reeve took a moment to regain his composure, taking slow deliberate breaths through the nose, before exhaling through the mouth. "Well… as you already know, after studying at Cosmo Canyon for a long while, me and the others that were with me have gotten to know so much more about the planet and the lifestream, and have been able to attribute a lot of what we learned with science.

"Get to the point where you explain why you said there's something wrong with me…" Cloud demanded.

"Well you see- looking over these samples of both yours and Rosso's Mako enhancements, and tissue samples I have come to realize how painfully similar they are. After viewing how her Mako reacts with her tissue, and comparing it to how your Mako reacts with yours, I decided that it was perfectly normal, and that she was perfectly healthy. After a second and more inquisitive test I realized just how impossibly similar the two of your enhancements are… Perhaps you already know this, but Rosso was born as a result of a desire to create an immortal SOLDIER, something they succeeded in."

"So what does this have to do with whatever's wrong with me?"

"Thing is, Your tissue is frighteningly similar… your cells don't seem to undergo senescence, and no matter how much your cells divide the telomeres within your cells do not seem to be shortening at all…"

Cloud's face paled in comprehension. "So what you're saying is… I'm no longer aging? Is that what you're implying…?"

"…Yes…" Reeve answered looking down.

"Impossible… me… immortal…?" Cloud whispered, almost inaudibly. Reeve knew the man must have been devastated at the sudden news, and leaned back in his chair while the blond sat there absorbing the knowledge. Surely someone like Hojo, or Sephiroth or Rufus' father would've jumped at the chance for immortality, but Cloud was not like them. Cloud had friends that he cared for like family- the thought of outliving them was perhaps a disturbing and shocking thought for the man. _Hell… he'll even outlive Nanaki…_-Reeve thought to himself.

Once Reeve assumed that the Cloud had taken the brunt of the shock Reeve went on. "I just don't understand _how_ you could've gotten this particular enhancement when you were miles away from Deepground and anyone knowledgeable in that particular field… Hojo couldn't have discovered the method on his own, and even if he _had_, you would've had to have been born that way not just suddenly have been _given_ immortality. Vincent was an exception only because he had a demon born from the planet infused with his soul…"

"I don't understand either Reeve…"

"It just doesn't make any sense… I'm sorry Cloud- I truly am…" Reeve expressed.

"To think that the curse Hojo put on me was greater than I originally thought... Why did this have to happen?"

"I'm not sure... but maybe if I studied you and Rosso some more then maybe, I could find a way to somehow restart your body's aging process. It's a stretch, and I'm not sure if is even possible, so I'm not guaranteeing an results. After all besides yourself, Rosso and Vincent are the only known immortals on this entire planet, and the men and women that made you three this way are all dead, along with their research... but it's worth the try. I'll see what I can do Cloud, so the best we can do is wait and pray."

"Thanks Reeve..." Cloud state solemnly as he lumbered over to the door and exited Reeve's office.

_On top of everything that he has gone through, now this? I really feel sorry for the guy..._

* * *

><p><span>POV: Rosso the Crimson<span>

Finally Rosso was allowed some peace and quite now that Cloud and his buddies were no longer in her room. Letting out a sigh Rosso, still in her bed decided upon taking a nap; after all that stress, a woman needs her rest after all! Sighing contentedly as she sunk deep into her pillows, she nearly instantaneously drifted off into a deep sleep.

Now in a dream-state she found herself as a third person observer to unfolding events. She followed along like a spectre as a man with spiky, blond hair walked calmly in a room filled with armored soldiers each with a firearm trained closely on the blond, following his every move. The blond seemed completely calm in the face of such odds, and utterly unmoved as he strode on, eyes forward focused on a particular person only a few paces away at this point. The man wore heavy and embroidered silver armor, and held the posture of someone with power.

"Are you insane?" the man asked to the blond who stopped walking several meters away. "Do you truly believe that you will make it out of here alive?"

"I don't think... I know... And if you knew anything about me, then you'd know that these odds are nothing compared to what I have faced in the past."

"Why would I want to know anything about a dead man?" the graying, armored man asked in response.

"And you call yourself a general? That is how a fool thinks... you should always know thy enemy." the blond replied.

"Enough of this rhetoric. You are nothing but a mere man, but these myths and stories have painted you as some legendary and unstoppable warrior... such idiocy... kill him." the man ordered.

Not a second later each and every gun went off filling the room with a thunderous bang. However the blond still stood, standing confidently with a dignified posture of pride and defiance. A sudden flashing light that shone around the man began to fade, the barrier returning to its neutral, invisible state.

"Know thy enemy." the blond remarked. "Did you really think I would just walk in here unprepared? How foolish do you think I am?"

"A pathetic barrier won't make a difference! Take up your blades men! Slice him to pieces!"

"Catch me if you can!" crouching low, the blond pushed off with his legs and flew backwards and out the large doors that he must have gone through not too long before. The armored soldiers rushed out after him, hollering war calls as they all drew the blades from the scabbards hanging from their waists.

The blond was kneeling outside, head drawn down, the moon illuminating his figure as he prepared for battle under the night sky. Unsheathing two gunblades from holsters strapped to his legs, the blades switched out with the scrape of metal, the edges glinting under the moon. Bringing up his head slowly he looked forward toward the army of soldiers rushing out in hopes of claiming his head. "Let's go Semnai; Anumati..." He whispered to his blades as they almost seemed to shine brighter in response. Rising into a fighting stance he called out; "Come at me! You have sealed your fate!"

A dark-blueish aura of energy erupted and enveloped the blond upon his statement. He met the first man's blade with a skillful parry and quickly follow up with a returning slash that took care of him. Gone with a blur he reappeared next to a clump of men in the middle of their ranks. With a blindingly fast set of slashes that looked like only one to an untrained eye, seven of the men collapsed to the ground lifeless, to the astonished exclamations of nearby soldiers. With another flash he was gone like the wind before a sword coming his way even got within his proximity. Before they even knew what was happening another three were down from their back ranks. They all turned back around toward the warrior who now had his back to the palace that they all had just come from.

"Who is this guy?"

"A demon!"

"The stories about this guy were true!"

"The Demon Mirage in the flesh!"

These were among the things that he could pick up from the wave of chatter that broke through the crowd. Deciding to be over with this fight he transferred all of his energy to Semnai, the blade held within his right hand. The aura that had surrounded him the entire fight faded as his blade began to burn an aura of its own. Slashing downward, the sword flashed as a gigantic torrent of energy rushed out to meet the soldiers head-on. "Reaver Edge!" A blinding light shone as the energy tore through the land and the crowd, eventually dissipating. When it was over there wasn't a single man standing, their bodies ripped and shredded to pieces from the mere force of the energy, and a large gash could be seen torn in the earth along the path the energy followed. Surveying the area, the man gave a soft hum and turned to reenter the palace.

"Now it's just me and you." the blond stated from the doorway to the general that still stood at the other end of the great hall.

In place of his earlier look of anger and arrogance was a look of pure fear. "You really are a demon, aren't you? So it was all true? Every story, about you slaying entire army's... it was all true? How could one man hold such p-power?" the man stuttered on and on, searching for some way to explain what he feared. "No... it must be a trick! No mere man could be capable of such destruction! Whatever you used on my men, it won't work on me demon!"

"You're right..." the blond quipped, startling the general. "A mere man wouldn't be capable of what I did..."

"Then how-?"

"Have you forgotten me already? I'm hurt general." the man said. "Search your memories general... you were there at the hour of my tainted birth... the day my mother was murdered..."

"What are you talking about...?" the general began before realization hit him like an arrow to the knee. "You can't be...!

"Oh but I am. You killed my mother... you were involved in what made me what I am today... You were always there. For the research... for my birth... you even listened as the man I'm after bestowed unto me my name... Do you remember what it was?"

When the general shook his head, the blond's aura lit back up with energy, only this time the aura was the color of coal, as black as night. Even though it was black, the energy almost seemed to, paradoxically, give off light. "It's Carlyle Ze'ev Celati-Grievace! And don't you ever forget it... in this life nor the next..." the dark energy began to focus and swirl around his hand as its power grew. "SHADOW SPEAR!"

With a thrust of his hand a beam of energy shot out from his closed hand and pierced the general, slipping through his armor like a hot knife through butter. The 'energy spear' remained connected with it's source (Carlyle's hand), and the blond's fist remained thrust in front of him, making the posture his hand was in, along with the energy beam resemble someone thrusting a spear, thus the name Shadow Spear. Moving his hand an inch or two upwards, the general was lifted off the ground, dangling midair on a blade of energy. Slowly, Carlyle walked forward and the general moved backward along with him until he hit the wall at the end of the hall and he was pinned onto the wall like decoration. Carlyle still walked forward as the general writhed and screamed in pain until he was standing but a few inches from him. "You will tell me what I want to know."

"I will not! Not as long as I have a shred of dignity left!"

"Give up fool! Survival is longer an option for you! The only option that remains is whether you die a dignified death or not. You know what I am capable of as the Death Reaver. Do you truly want to spend an eternity in hell? Search your feelings, you know that's where you belong for the lives you've ruined, the evil you've committed, the pain you've caused this planet. Tell me what I want... repent... and you may just find salvation. Leave this life knowing you did at least _some_ good."

For a good minute or so, they stared at each other in silence, the general's blood pooling at their feet. "Fine... I don't know his exact whereabouts, he keeps that a secret from even me... but I know someone that does... his name is Verlaquias. I was supposed to meet with him a week from now in Feyrudeinz. Go to the end of Krieger's Pier and you should find him... He's your target's right-hand. Once he realizes I'm not coming he'll probably head to his lair in regards of me. Tail him, and you'll get what you want..."

"Thank you..." Carlyle said. "You have reclaimed your honor in my eyes. May peace be upon you, and bring you sleep eternal..." with a single swift stroke the general met his end as blood splattered to the floor.

With a shudder Rosso woke from her sleep lost and confused. "What was that about...? Who was that?" she whispered to herself. "That was the same man from that other hazy weird dream I had wasn't it...? But who is he, and why am I having dreams about him? Someone like that couldn't have existed... that kind of power is just beyond imagination... Even General Sephiroth, from what I heard, even as powerful as he was and as effortless as it was for him, it_ still_ took at least ten whole minutes to kill an entire army, yet that man wiped out one with a single stroke of his blade... That's just not possible. Makes no sense." Rosso left it at that and went back to sleep.

* * *

><p><span>POV: Cloud Strife<span>

"Cloud! Going somewhere?" Someone called out when Cloud closed the front door behind him.

"Oh, Reeve. Hi." Cloud greeted the man as he walked up to Cloud through the snow. "Just heading to town to pick up some stuff..."

"Mind if I come with?" Reeve asked, to which Cloud shook his head. "Good... I was just coming over to speak with you."

"About what we were talking about earlier?" Cloud guessed, rightly enough since Reeve nodded his head. "Isn't that kind of dangerous to talk about that kind of stuff in public?"

"We'll get a secluded table in the tavern, we'll be fine. Besides it would probably be safer for a stranger to listen in on us than people that we know."

Cloud nodded in agreement, getting his point.

After Cloud gathered supplies from the grocer the two headed over to the local tavern and sat at a table far from the entrance where no one was nearby to talk. Once they ordered their drinks and received them, they got down to business.

"So what did you find?" Cloud started off.

"Well I'm one-hundred percent sure that you are immortal now." Reeve began. "Thing is I have yet to figure out how you could have _received_ immortality... Though I do believe that you might have somehow been born with it."

"What?" Cloud replied, shocked. "How?"

"I don't know... but it makes more sense that just suddenly receiving it... Was your father perhaps in SOLDIER?" Reeve wondered.

"No... he was just a security guard in the regular militia. What would that have to do with it?"

"Just theories... I had to know, because if there might have been previous experiments into immortality that we don't know about- and if your father was in SOLDIER and happened to receive one of these early experiments, then that might've explained something... but that theory's out the window..."

"Hmm... It's funny..." Cloud said, though there was no hint of humor on his visage.

"What is?" Reeve prodded.

"I keep thinking about my father lately... never really brooded over him before... It's just that... I barely ever got to know him you know... he died when I was so young."

"It's a sad thing to loose someone that important so young... I was five when I lost mine..."

"Yeah? Me too." Cloud and Reeve empathized with each other. "Anyways... any other theories?"

"Maybe you living in Nibelheim with a reactor could've imbued you with immortality, but- then your whole town would've been immortal, and all of Midgar would be immortal, which they're not... so that theory is also out the door... Or maybe two cases of Mako-poisoning did it, and that was my more promising theory but... that just doesn't make much sense either."

"Why?"

"Because why would yours and Rosso's enhancements be so similar? You would have to had been born with it... but how? I don't know..."

"Hmm..." Cloud simply said. Suddenly Cloud heard the stomp of boots heading in his direction. Looking over his shoulder to spot the person, a man with a mustache and goatee lumbered over to the their table with a bright smile.

"Captain?" the lumber-jack looking man inquired. "Captain! It is you isn't it Captain!"

The man snatched Cloud's hand off the table and shook it vigorously. "To think I'd meet _you_ of all people out here! And I thought you were dead!"

Cloud looked over to Reeve across the table, who looked as if he was trying very hard not to laugh. Cloud almost wanted to laugh himself, but of course his face didn't show it. He then turned back to Jake politely. "Sorry but I think you have the wrong person..."

"What? Don't tell me you forgot me? It's me! I was one of the Corporals on your team!" the man stated as if that would jog a memory. "You know! Jake Verne! The idiot that always said to much about unit 14!" When that didn't get a reaction the man's smile faded. "You really don't remember do you? I mean it _was_ a long time ago..." his head dipped down low.

"Mister Verne... You genuinely have the wrong person... I honestly don't know you. And I was never a captain- I never made it off Private 1st Class."

The man looked back up with his big bright green eyes... _No... Those are Mako eyes..._ "You're right. Now that I take a closer look your face _is_ a little different... your hot, but just a guy next door kind of hot... you don't have that exotic face like he did- plus your hair is slightly different. Man I wish he would've just given in to me just once, but he was loyal to his wife 'till the end, even though she thought he was dead..."

Cloud looked down briefly and finally noticed a small rainbow flag tied to his belt. Cloud turned back around to Reeve and nodded with his eyes in the man's direction to which Reeve stifled a chuckle.

"Oh... I'm sorry to have bothered you guys... I think I'll go now..." the man turned around looking embarrassed and ready to leave but then spun back around. "Actually... sorry to bother you again, but maybe you knew him... You might be related and I can tell from your eyes you were in SOLDIER as well..."

Cloud didn't want to go on explaining about how he managed to gain Mako enhancements so he just agreed. "I was... Now I don't mean to be rude but I was having a conversation with my friend here." Cloud gestured in Reeve's direction, turning back around giving the man named Jake the cold-shoulder.

However, the man opened his mouth again, insistent. "Do happen to know a Carlyle Strife?"

At the very mention of the name Cloud's eyes shot up from the table, and it felt as if his heart had stopped beating all together. Even Reeve stopped snickering when he saw the blond involuntarily stiffen and his skin turn pale. Turning to face the man slowly as if any sudden movement might spell disaster, his eyes met Jake's a serious look upon both their faces.

"How do you know that name?" Cloud asked

"I was a part of his unit in SOLDIER." Jake answered.

"My father was _never_ a member of SOLDIER, we must be thinking of a different Carlyle Strife..." Cloud was about to turn back around but the man went on.

"Your _father_?" Jake exclaimed. "Then you must be Cloud!" Jake took the slight twitch Cloud made as an affirmative. "That's funny... he was banned about talking about unit 14 and his line of work, but never about being in SOLDIER..."

"My father was never in SOLDIER!" Cloud spat. "He was a lowly security-guard who barely made enough to feed his fucking family! There's probably another Carlyle out there with a damned son named Cloud!"

"Yeah and they both happened to live in Nibelheim right?"

At this Cloud began listening. "Yeah, then why would he deceive us?"

"To protect you most likely..."

Cloud scooted over to the seat besides him, offering Jake his own seat, which Jake gladly took. "Yeah but he ended up dying in Wutai..."

"No he didn't..." Jake said

"W-What? What're you-?"

"Now I don't want to get your hopes up... he _did_ die, but _not_ in Wutai. And _definitely_ not when you were lead to believe." Jake made clear.

"Explain." Cloud simply remarked.

"Well- you were lead to believe that Carlyle died in Wutai, protecting a medical encampment, but that couldn't have been father from the truth..."

"What do you mean? Why would he fake his own death?"

"Because Shinra told him to. Carlyle, and I along with six others were part of a covert group called the Lost Force. We worked directly under the President himself, taking orders from him and _only_ him..." Jake began explaining. "We were his own personal team of SOLDIER operatives... He didn't want any problems, so he had each and every one of us fake our own deaths in order to cut us off from our old lives and craft us into the ultimate puppet warriors."

"...This whole time, I thought I knew him..." Cloud said, but then turned to Jake looking doubtful and unbelieving. "But... what proof do you have for all this?"

"I know it might not be much..." Jake started, reaching for his wallet. He pulled a single photo out of it. "Here, look..."

The picture showed eight men, each in a SOLDIER 2nd Class uniform, but the person that really caught his attention was the single standout... The one blond-head in the group his intense sky-blue bright eyes looking as if they could burn a hole into into his soul with their stare. It's exactly how he imagined his father looked and more; the hazy image that he had of him was finally made clear. "Father... it really is you..." the tears behind his eyes suddenly felt as if they were going to break free, and it took all his effort to hold them back. "Then how did he really die?"

"He was killed while serving in Deepground... Our unit eventually gained the highest prestige for our record in always getting the job done, quickly and efficiently. As our test to becoming Firsts, we battled with the fiercest warriors, we prevailed and became the gatekeepers of Deepground. As you know they eventually rebelled, and killed all of the Lost Force, including your father... I couldn't believe it when I heard... I mean the guy was a beast on the battlefield... Not once in all my years serving with him, did I see a single enemy even scratch him, so whoever had killed him in Deepground must've been _extremely_ powerful. And when I say powerful, I mean powerful! The guy dueled on equal footing with the great general Sephiroth for goodness sakes!"

"What?" Cloud exclaimed, for he knew first hand what kind of power that meant. _How could my father have been so strong...?" _

"Yeah... The guy was a freakin monster in battle. He gained the nickname the Demon Mirage for his crazy fast strikes and his sheer speed. I'm serious when I say that no one was ever able to put even a scratch on him, well except Sephiroth and the person that killed him I guess..."

"Hmm..." Cloud thought of something suddenly. "Did... Did my father ever talk about me?"

"Ha! All the damn time!"Jake exclaimed, reminiscing about the old times. "He would _constantly_ wave his damn photos of you around whenever he got the chance! When you were just born we would always get 'The Daily Cloud Update'- about how you were, the new foods he and his wife were giving to you, your first words, when you first walked... He would always talk about how he would give his life for you, and would tear apart anyone that would ever do you any harm. He loved to say about how much ypu looked like him but also had traits of your mother, and how you were the greatest thing that had ever happened to him." Jake went on. "You can trust me when I say that he loved you more than anything in the entire world... and... at first it was fine, but- we soon realized how much it killed him inside to fake his own death... to be forever separated from you..."

"..." Cloud could barely stand the fact that the whole time he thought his father was dead, he was up and about talking about him and working for Shinra. "Wait, it just hit me!"

"What?"

"He died in the Deepground rebellion! That means he died only three years ago?" Cloud despaired.

"Yes... I know it's hard to take in..."

"Fuck!" Cloud exclaimed.

"In my research I did learn a little about the Lost Force, so Carlyle must have been the leader of the group during their time in Deepground..." Reeve stated aloud to the other two men.

"That is incorrect..." Jake declared.

"Huh? But you said..."

"Correction... Carlyle _was_ our captain during our time as 2nd classes. After he faked his own death, he became..." he stopped searching for the right word. "distracted..."

"Distracted...?"

"Yes... he- couldn't bare the loss of his only family... he began to change... he seemed alright at first... but it became clear after a while how much it was killing him. He became ruthless, borderline just downright evil... especially the days leading up to his 'cut off mission', he slaughtered a team of SOLDIERS that had discovered our identity. It started off as just another nuisance in need of being stamped out, as what always happened when our identity was revealed. And we enjoyed watching him fight at first..."

"What?"

"He... we all noticed it... how his eyes burned with anger... how he delighted in slicing them to pieces... he was a skilled fighter sure- but he never _delighted_ in killing before. He downright near tortured them, hacking limbs and striking fear into them before he put them out of their misery... So we just ignored it at first, just cheered him on as we always had, and just brushed it off as him just needing to let off some steam..."

"What happened after that?"

"He began going out on the field with us, unlike before where he would just command us from the background... he began to fight more and more, as if he was trying to lose himself in the spill of blood... But again we ignored it..." Jake went on, bowing his head recounting the events. "A few weeks after his 'death'..." Jake wagged his fingers in the air. "... was his epic battle with the general. Apparently he had heard of us, about Carlyle, and wanted to test his strength against Carlyle's. He seemed so happy, Carlyle, as he fought evenly with Sephiroth so we believed he had finally gone back to normal. "

"After a few months, we finally caught our big break... our promotion to First Class would entail a fight to the death with other SOLDIERS in the bowls of Deepground... I believe I said their were eight of us including myself on the squad... well only five of us made Firsts... Carlyle, his Lieutenant and good friend Osiris Daynim, Attacus Solaris, Cameron Belkan, and myself..."

"What about the others, what happened?"

Jake quickly looked away, as if remembering a horrid memory. "They died during the ensuing battles..." Jake said, barely a whisper. "And Carlyle changed once more after the death of his men... he went from one side of the spectrum to the other. He became unbelievably kindhearted. He still battled of course, he was born and bread for battle after all, but he would kill his enemies swiftly and with the least bloodshed as possible, as if delivering mercy to his victims... Now, Attacus the Sergeant Major, he was always sort of distanced from the rest of us... we all knew he wanted Carlyle's position, so he gave it to him... Attacus became our new Captain... though I never thought of him that way, especially since I quit not long after... I couldn't bare seeing the trauma Carlyle was enduring, and I couldn't take orders from Attacus... After our test, Attacus became even more distanced, borderline insane... I got lucky, that the president respected the Lost Force and therefore let me quit and return to my hometown, though I was kept under twenty-four hour surveillance."

"You sure are lucky..." Cloud said, knowing that anyone that wanted to quit SOLDIER or betray SOLDIER always received the same status on Shinra's board... K.I.A...

"Even after I left, Carlyle wrote to me all the time, and I to him. He told me all about Deepground, about his feelings... He told me that the four of them were assigned as the 'Gatekeepers' of Deepground and to keep the Deepground soldiers in line. Each was assigned a different quadrant, Attacus, the new Captain took the North, while Carlyle took the South; Osiris the East, and Cameron the West... He told me that Attacus became paranoid, psychotic, maybe even schizophrenic... He called the four of them 'the Restrictors' and made the Deepground soldiers undergo the same test they did, a fight to the death to rise to the ranks... he believed that they wanted to rise against him so he had chips implanted into their brains to control them and the Tsviets... Eventually it was his own callousness that brought his fears to fruition. Weiss the Immaculate, a SOLDIER of Deepground, Carlyle told me, led a rebellion against them eventually killing Attacus, Cameron, and Osiris... at the time that he was writing the letter he told me that only he remained... and that they'd find him eventually..."

Jake suddenly burst into tears. "He probably sent that letter minutes before his death! I wanted to help but I was so far away... if only I had stayed, I might have been able to save him..."

"Jake... if they were able to kill my father, they'd have easily slaughtered you... and then there'd be no one to tell me the truth as you are doing... everything happens for a reason, and perhaps this is the very reason you _had_ to quit- so you could tell me these things." Cloud supported him laying a hand on the weeping man's shoulder.

"I was so happy with him though..." Jake began again. "It seemed he had finally achieved happiness down there somehow... he wrote about how he would sneak out of Deepground every now and then to do a good deed for someone... giving money to charity or to any random person on the street, even just to help an old lady cross the road... he even told me that the president's son had come to him seeking assistance... he told Carlyle he wanted to change Shinra for the better and that he needed to get information to an anti-Shinra group called AVALANCHE. So whenever he could he would act as a conduit between Rufus and AVALANCHE, delivering information directly to their base. We both know that Rufus was liar, after the president's death, he ruled through fear, so unfortunately Carlyle was probably doing more harm than good helping that man... but at least he had good intentions. I could never figure out exactly _how_ he was able to just sneak out like that without anybody noticing... Anyway, there was one story he told me that was interesting..."

"Interesting? Interesting in what way?"

"That he had helped a woman and her child get out of Shinra... that first year he had been promoted to first, he had sneaked into the Shinra building and went up to the science department, because he heard stories about horrible experiments. That's where he saw a woman and her child locked up for experimentation. Wearing a disguise, he made it inside and got her out of the Shinra building, unfortunately they were pursued and the woman was mortally wounded... Carlyle bade her to escape as far as she could while he took care of the pursuers... He told me that he never knew if her or the child survived . Lucky for him, because of his disguise and because he took care of all the pursuers, know one ever knew of his betrayal. He told me her name was Ifalna... I wonder what happened to her..."

Cloud froze on the spot. _Ifalna? Aerith's mother? Are you kidding me? Funny how his simple act of kindness became so much more than that... _

"Cloud..." Reeve called, snapping the blond out of his little trance. "I think we should really get back to the lodge."

"Oh you're the one's staying up there?" Jake said aloud. "Maybe I'll stop by sometime, and I could tell you more about your father then."

Cloud gave a respectful nod to Jake as all three got up from their seats. "I'll hold you to that."

* * *

><p>Cloud was alone with himself in the kitchen mentally reviewing all the facts that had just been pushed into his head. <em>So everything that I knew about my father was a lie... everything that mom knew...<em> Cloud buried his face into his hands, taking in a heavy breath of oxygen. "Father..."

"What's wrong?" a female voice called to him.

Cloud tuned his head to the direction of the voice. "Rosso?" the woman was in a wheelchair, pulling closed the door to the deck behind her. "What-?"

"Elena got me a wheelchair and let me sit out on the deck on my to give me some fresh air..." Rosso explained. "Back to you... Why are you brooding over here?"

"Nothing..."

"You want me to get better, yet you can't do a simple thing as have a conversation with me. How does that make any sense?" Rosso bespoke.

"You're right... I'm sorry..." Cloud apologized. "You see... I just learned some truths about my father's life, things I never thought possible..."

"Like what?"

"Well, I thought he was simply a security officer this whole time, when in fact he might've been one of the most powerful SOLDIERS to ever exist."

"Hah! Most powerful- that's a laugh."

"He dueled with the General Sephiroth to a draw." Cloud said sticking up for his father's honor.

"...!" Rosso stopped laughing, returning her eyes to Cloud's. "Whoa- that _is_ power!"

"Yeah... turns out he was part of this elite force called the Lost Force... They were later called the Restrictors."

"What?" Rosso exclaimed. Cloud knew that was going to come as a shock to her. "Then he must have been the one Weiss killed!"

"No... that was a subordinate that he transferred command to, a man named Attacus Solaris..."

"Oh..." Rosso shrunk in her chair calming at his explanation.

"Rosso?"

"Yes?"

Cloud gulped, gathering the courage to speak. "Do you- perhaps remember anyone named Carlyle Strife in Deepground?"

"No-" Rosso was about to say when it hit her like a ton of bricks. "Carlyle?"

"What? Did you remember something?" Cloud turned his body in hopes that Rosso knew something.

"No... it's just I keep having dreams about this blond man named Carlyle... Probably just a coincidence..."

"Does he look like this?" Cloud inquired showing her the picture that Jake gave him.

Rosso took the photo and brought it to her eye level, her eye immediately catching the single blond-head at which point she dropped the photo with a shriek of terror. Whatever it was, Rosso seemed scared, something Cloud did not know she was capable of. "That's him!" she pointed to the photo lying on the floor as if it was poisonous.

Cloud stooped down to retrieve the photo. "Why would you be having dreams about my father? Rosso what's wrong?" Cloud asked, genuinely worried about the woman.

"I didn't think that man was real! That kind of being shouldn't exist!"

"What is it?"

"If my dreams are reality then he's far, far stronger than Sephiroth, than Weiss than anyone! If my dreams are true then that man's power is something beyond comprehension! This can't be real!"

"The man that I just talked to said he was killed in Deepground..."

"No way... if my dreams are anything to go by, then that man is still alive... there's no way that even the Tsviets_ combined_ could have brought him down... That mam in my dreams is not human..."

After his talk with Rosso, Cloud left her downstairs while he went back up to his room alone lying on his 'mattress'.

How can I separate the truth from the lies...?

Father... I want to know you...

I want to know the real you...

I'll discover your story...

I want to know your legacy...

* * *

><p><strong>Cold Hard Facts: <strong>Carlyle's Gunblades: Semnai- the name bestowed upon the Erinyes in Aeschylus's _Oresteia _meaning Venerable Ones

Anumati- Hinduism's Lunar Goddess


	11. Prelude The Second

**Author's Note: **I'm typing like a boss! Just kidding, but anyways I'm glad I finally finished with this chapter, took me like a week and a half... But that's cause this has been my longest chapter thus far, nearly a whopping 14K! Revealing just a tad on Carlyle's past, and SOLDIER Unit 14. Also there's a great author's note at the bottom of this chapter explaining the shocker at the end of the chapter so make sure to read that.

**Warnings: **Explicit Sexual Content!

I decided to do a little bow-chika-wow-wow in this chapter to practice for you-know-who's an the other you-know-who's bow-chika-wow-wow scene in the future. Gimme some feedback on what you think about it pretty please!

R&R PLZ!

* * *

><p><span>Prelude The Second: Visions<span>

POV: Carlyle Strife

**[ μ ] – εуλ 1992**

It was a few weeks after his apparent 'death' and Carlyle stood pressed up against a tree looking upon his unit. They sat and conversed around a campfire the burning embers illuminating their profiles as they prattled on about all kinds of topics. _Cloud_ _I wonder how you are right now... I hope you aren't hurting too badly... And Ayane... my love... I'll never feel your sweet embrace ever again... how can I live with myself..._

"Cap!" someone called out to him. "Why don't you come sit with us?"

Carlyle held up his hand and shook his head. "You enjoy this down time to yourselves..."

"I think he's still shook up about his 'cut-off mission'..." Carlyle heard Jake whisper to Marcus.

"Yeah... I feel for him..." Marcus responded.

"He needs to get over it all ready..." Attacus said.

"Shut it Attacus!" Cameron lashed at him.

"Haven't you noticed how much he's putting himself on the line in the field... he's freaking me out..." Auron admitted.

Suddenly they all fell silent when they heard a rustle in the brush quite far off. Some of them stood up ready to engage in battle, until Carlyle made a remark. "Halt! It's a fellow SOLDIER unit!" Every SOLDIER unit all wore a special cologne on the field, which had a signature aroma so slight, that only another SOLDIER unit would be able to identify it.

"How do you know?" Malik asked.

"They have the 'cologne' on... I smelled quite a while back." Carlyle explained.

"Oh... I always forget how good your senses are..." Malik said as they all sat back down.

"Yeah- how did you get such awesome senses Cap?" Jake wondered.

Carlyle merely shrugged his shoulders. "Don't know... came with the enhancements..." A skull splitting tremor tore through his head at that very moment, and a voice as smooth as silk seemed to resonate from all around him, ever ubiquitous.

**You are a being above humans... You shall lead us into the light oh Reaver!**

Once the pain had passed he brought his eyes back up to his unit still sitting around the fire; lucky for him no one not seemed to notice his pain. All the while that smell of the other SOLDIER unit was getting closer and closer.

"There is no hate, only joy

For you are beloved by the goddess  
>Hero of the dawn, Healer of worlds"<p>

A silken voice announced as the smell finally reached their camp. "Loveless, Act II." Carlyle responded to the voice.

"Ah, so long ago and yet you still remember..." a man said to the blond as he walked over to him.

"I am a fan of it myself, or have you forgotten Genesis?"

"Oh, please forgive me but you must refresh my memory." the auburn-head stated as he tapped his head.

"My soul, corrupted by vengeance  
>Hath endured torment, to find the end of the journey<br>In my own salvation  
>And your eternal slumber"<p>

"Act IV." the man named Genesis answered with a smile. "Good to see you haven't forgotten."

"And you as well." Carlyle replied, also with a smile. Carlyle held out his hand to Genesis which Genesis took with a great smile before they pulled each other in for a brotherly hug.

"Alright, enough with the Loveless love fest over there." a hardy, masculine voice requested as a large man stepped from the brush.

"Shut it Angeal! It's not everyday that I can have a talk with an enthusiast like myself."

Brushing past Genesis as he flashed him a smile, Angeal walked up to Carlyle and pulled him into a hug that he gladly reciprocated. "How are you my friend?"

"I'm good, thank you." Carlyle said as they broke the hug. "So... if you guys are here then I guess the 'other one' must not be far off."

"You dare to talk of your superior in such a manner!" a deep and authoritative voice demanded as yet one more walked from the brush. All of Carlyle's unit turned at the sound of the voice and quickly stood up from their seats and snapped into salute. The man they were saluting walked past them all without a second glance, the man's long, flowing, silver hair floating behind him like a mane. He stalked over to the blond and stopped but a few inches away, and stood to his full height- a head and a half above Carlyle. The man's cat-like slits of green pools stared at Carlyle with a look of pure hatred and contempt. "Strife..."

"Sephiroth..." Carlyle let the name slip off his tongue like liquid poison, returning the man's stare with just as much intensity.

The two stood there staring each other down for what felt like ages before Genesis broke the fine silence. "Oh get it over with already!"

At that the blond, and the silver-head broke into laughter, well, more of a single hearty chuckle for the silver-haired individual. "Carlyle, how are you?"

"I'm fine... and yourself Sephiroth?" Carlyle returned the greeting.

"I am doing quite alright thank you." Sephiroth stated. Turning to his unit he spoke once more. "And how is your unit fairing."

"Perfectly fine..." Carlyle said, noticing that his unit were still saluting.

"You know you can tell them to stop saluting right?" Sephiroth whispered to Carlyle.

"At ease men!" the blond ordered, at which they all quickly exhaled and returned to their seats. Turning to the three men in front him, "So... what brings you three down here?"

"We just needed some place to camp for the night, and were checking about for a spot when Sephiroth picked up on the SOLDIER smell."

"That's funny, cause Captain picked up on yours as well." Jake said, over hearing the conversation.

Carlyle shot the Corporal a dirty look. "Don't speak out of turn with the General, Corporal!" Jake shrunk in his spot, looking like a small child that just received punishment.

"It's quite alright Strife." Sephiroth said. "I enjoy a casual conversation... besides I'm not the general yet, I _just_ got promoted to First."

"Don't be humble Sephiroth, you practically _own_ the army." Genesis said.

"Which reminds me... I wonder when you two are going to get promoted." Carlyle queried, indicating Genesis and Angeal.

"Hopefully soon..." Genesis said.

"They'll promote us when we're ready." Angeal commented.

"And it'll be funny when it does happen! Three fifteen year-olds reaching First before a haggard old man like yourself!" Genesis quipped.

"Hey! I'm only twenty-two..." Carlyle said, almost laughing when he heard himself and mulled over the age difference.

"You'll get your promotion soon, I'm sure." Angeal assured, then looked to Sephiroth. "Besides Sephiroth, you're the best we have."

"Hey! I'm standing right here!" Genesis said waving a hand in front of Angeal's face, who swatted it out of the way. He then turned to Carlyle with a grimace, and then a sly smile. "Now that I think of it... you have a five year old kid... and you're only twenty-two? That means, you got down and dirty _quick_ didn't you?" he said chuckling.

Carlyle blushed a deep crimson, he always hated it when this topic came up. "That's my wife your talking about!"

"And how old is _she_?"

Carlyle's breath hitched in his throat. "Twenty..." He said with barely a whisper.

"Which means she was our age when you knocked her up! You're a pedophile man!" Genesis said mocking disgust.

"A lot of people in my generation had children young!" he exclaimed trying to stick up for his honor. "Just look at Osiris!"

"Real smooth man!" Osiris called out from his spot.

"Genesis, don't look at it as them being irresponsible or hasty." Angeal began, sticking up for Carlyle. "Look at it as the fruit of their true, undying love and devotion for one another. Besides... they didn't have birth-control in those days..."

"Thank the goddess they do _now_! I would hate to be tied down, to someone! Need to spread the seed as far as you can, right Sephiroth?"

"Yeah right... you're still a virgin Gen..." Angeal said.

At that Genesis blushed. "Yeah and what about you?"

"I enjoy my virginity, and I hope to keep it that way until I can find the right woman."

"All joking aside, would you kindly let us camp with you for the night?" Sephiroth questioned.

"Of course Sephiroth, always room to spare!" Carlyle graciously said. "Although, I think Genesis will have to sleep outside..."

"Hey!"

Carlyle was in the middle of walking over to their tents to show the three to their spots, when he turned back around in Genesis' direction. "Oh, and Genesis don't forget, just cause you're hanging with Seph, I still outrank you."

Genesis growled at this, as Angeal and Sephiroth chuckled at his expense.

* * *

><p>The first thing that met his eyes as he slipped into the world of dreams were raging embers, surrounding him and smothering everything in sight. He was in the middle of some kind of town, a town set ablaze. After a while of sifting, recognition finally hit him... <em>This is Nibelheim!<em> "No..." he heard the body he was occupying whisper. The body's eyes flicked around, surveying the damage on the town, before dashing into Carlyle's burning home, his body out of his control. Upon the floor was a woman lying in a puddle of blood. "MOM!"

The dream body slid onto his knees over to the woman's side, picking up the bloody body into its arms. "Mom! Wake up! You can't die!" Tears streamed down the body's cheeks uncontrollably.

"Carlyle?" the woman's voice asked in a raspy, weak voice.

"No... it's me mom, Cloud. Don't you remember, I came with the SOLDIERS to fix the reactor?"

The woman brought a bloody hand up to stroke the body's cheek, a bright smile touching her lips. _Ayane? Why am I seeing this? Why can't I do anything?_ "Cloud, my beautiful boy... you look so much like your father... My sweet little boy... Tell your father, I wasn't able to keep my promise..."

"Don't you remember mom? Dad's dead..."

"Don't say stuff like that... It's not nice... I taught you better than that Cloud..." _Why am I in my son's body...? What's going on?_

The body simply nodded in response. "Mom..." the shaky syllable left his lips.

"Cloud, my son... one day you will realize the strength you hold within you... the strength of your blood... beyond anything in this world, I only regret that I won't be there to see it for myself..."

"Mom... I don't understand..."

"Cloud... son... I l-love... I l-l-love y-y..." one last shaky breath slipped past her rosy lips as her head lolled to the side, and her eyes glazed over.

"Mom... Mom?" Cloud shook his mother, disbelieving his own eyes. "Mom? MOM! N-no... NO!" wiping his tears, he closed the woman's eyes, he set her down gently.

"Ah, so there was one still alive..." a glossy voice laced with malice said from the doorway. The last thing he saw before he was knocked out cold, was a flash of silver, and green slitted eyes filled with hate and blood-lust.

"NO!" Carlyle felt his throat go scratchy, as he jolted upright in his bed. "Ayane..." he felt a clammy hand press on his bare shoulder.

"You alright?" he heard Sephiroth's soft, tired, and worry-laced voice asked, well as worry-laced as he could make his monotone voice sound.

"Yeah I'm fine... sorry to wake you... just a nightmare..."

"Don't mind me... it's you I'm worried about Strife..."

"Yeah well, don't be..." with that, Carlyle laid back onto the ground, pulling up his blanket. Sephiroth who was sleeping next to Carlyle laid back not a second later, with a shake of his head.

* * *

><p>In the early morning as the sun first began to rise, everyone was up and stretching. Conversing with one another, the two units ready to go their separate ways. Without warning, Sephiroth suddenly drew his blade, slightly longer than he was tall, its edge glinting in the rising sun. Everyone backed up in fear, save Carlyle.<p>

"Sephiroth? What're you doing?" Angeal demanded.

"An exhibition match... now!"

Genesis confidently strode forward about to draw his blade, before Sephiroth stopped him.

"Not you..." he swiveled his sword in the direction of Carlyle. "I wish to do battle with you, Captain Strife."

Playing stupid the Captain pointed at himself with a questioning look on his face. "Me?"

"Of course..." he said with a smirk. "I've heard the stories about you, and your amazing strength... the Demon Mirage they call you... I want to test this strength for myself..."

"And why is that?" Carlyle asked, genuinely speculative.

"They call me the strongest man to ever exist... I need to fight someone with just as much strength, or my skills will dull... Besides maybe both our units can learn a thing or two..." Sephiroth justified.

"Alright then..." Carlyle bent to the man's will. "Let's give 'em a show to remember..." Carlyle then drew his two gunblades. "Let's go Erinyes, Anumati..."

Without a second warning Carlyle dashed forth, catching the silver-head off guard, he was only able to block at the very last second. Sephiroth's eyes flashed with a small hint of surprise. "Good... so you are _at least_ as fast as they say you are... Now let's test that amazing power they say you hold." with a small grunt, he effortlessly pushed Carlyle back a good ten feet.

"And you seem to be as powerful as they say _you_ are, General..." Carlyle said, actually enjoying the heat of the coming battle.

"Don't be too impressed, there's still so much left to show you..."

"And you as well..."

A flash of tearing flesh, blood caking his vision, the screams of men dying at his feet. The smell of sweat, blood and gore, the taste of burning flesh in the air. _What the...?_ One minute he's on a battle field surrounded by what must have been a thousand bodies littering the earth, the sky blotted out by ash and smoke; the next he's back in the forest near his camp, the clash of metal ringing in his ears.

"Good... you anticipate your opponents' movements well..." he heard Sephiroth say over their interlocked swords.

"Wha-?" Carlyle only managed to stutter before he was beaten back by a barrage of slashes that he could barely keep up with.

"Very good!" he heard the silver-headed man say. "Not many have seen my Octaslash and lived!"

**You are one of the few to see my technique and live to tell about it...** a voice echoed in his head, that for some reason brought anger, and rage into his heart. He did not no where it came from, but he felt he knew what he had to do to alleviate himself of it, and just the words that needed to be spoken. "SABER SLASH!" a high pitched whine, of energy breaking the sound barrier could be heard but a second before Sephiroth was thrown back by the brute force of triplet energy waves that appeared to spawn from thin air and collide with the man's guard.

"The hell was that?" he heard someone exclaim. Sephiroth flipped around in midair and landed on his feet.

"I'm lucky... I'd be dead if I hadn't thrown up my guard in time..." Sephiroth said.

"Never seen him do that before..." Carlyle heard one of his subordinates whisper to another.

"Me neither... thought I knew all his tricks..." the other whispered back.

_What was that...? _Carlyle pondered, looking down at Semnai... or Erinyes... _Why can't I remember my sword's name...? What's happening?_

Flash of tearing flesh, blood caking his vision, the screams of men dying at his feet. A voice that sounded eerily similar to his own spoke. **Good job Semnai!** _That's right, it's name is Semnai..._ A searing pain rushed through his skull. _NO! It's Erinyes... wasn't it...?_

Before he knew it Carlyle rolled out of the way of an energy wave sent his way by the edge of Kalum's HazeEdge Sabre... Another ache assailed his skull. _No his name is Sephiroth, and his sword is Masamune..._ _right...?_

Haphazardly parrying an oncoming attack, Sephiroth's sword cut into his left shoulder. Shock registered on Sephiroth's face as he pulled back and worriedly asked if he was okay.

"I'm fine..." Carlyle said though he was on one knee, clutching his shoulder.

A flash of tearing flesh, blood caking his vision, the screams of men dying at his feet. The smell of sweat, blood and gore, the taste of burning flesh in the air. **Get up! You've been through worse!**Carlyle stood back up on the spot, brandishing his gunblades in front of him.

"Maybe we should stop this..." Sephiroth stated, ready to put down his sword.

"No!" Carlyle requested. "Let's finish this!"

"You have nothing to prove... it's not dishonorable to run from a fight if it means you get to fight another day..."

"Shut up, and take your fighting stance!" Carlyle said, surprising everyone. "I told you I'm fine!" his eyes transfigured into a bloody crimson color. Suddenly his wound began to close, the skin stitching together as if being closed by an invisible needle and thread.

"Whoa... did anyone see him cast a spell?" someone whispered aloud.

Sephiroth smiled, returning to his fighting stance. "Fine... I'll be sure to send your ashes to your family..."

"Don't count on it Sephy..." Carlyle said, a smile touching his lips.

**Liucia! Hang on!**

As if choreographed, the two warriors dashed forward, their blades announcing their meeting with a clash of metal. Using the blade in his left hand, Carlyle quickly swung down, hoping to catch the other off-guard. Sephiroth merely dashed to his right going on his own offense. Carlyle twisted his body in Sephiroth's direction, catching his swing with a well-timed parry. With a flick of the wrist, he forced Masamune to the side, throwing Sephiroth off balance, and opening him to attack. With barely a mil-second to spare Sephiroth vaulted upwards. With a frustrated growl, Carlyle jumped after him.

**It's your turn Meniscus! **

"Show him how it's done Meniscus!" With a slight scrape of metal, and the whir of gears, his blades began to shift. Without even looking at them, he clashed the hilts together forming a double-sided lance out of the swords.

"I didn't know they could do that!" Jake exclaimed.

Carlyle caught up to Sephiroth's height quickly, sending a barrage of slashes raining upon his guard. Twist after twist, slash after slash, no matter how hard he tried, Carlyle was unable to find an opening, to which a growl escaped his lips.

…

"Carlyle!" a woman's voice called out to a blond man standing in the middle of an open field. The woman was dressed in tight black spandex that showed off her skinny, but shapely legs, a purple v-neck shirt that glittered with gold and blue stars, and an open flowing cardigan that came to her thighs. Her skin was literally as white as snow, not pale or sickly in appearance, but the kind of white that you'd believe paper only capable of. Her curly, also purely white hair was cut short, and only reached halfway down her long, slender neck. Her exotic facial features, along with her pure white, glowing body attributed to a sort of ethereal and angelic beauty that was unrivaled.

Quickly turning to the source of the voice, a happy and bright smile touched his lips. " 'Bout time! I was beginning to think you wouldn't show..."

"You know I would never keep you waiting..." the woman said as she neared him, trying to catch her breath. The man quirked a brow in her direction, a slight sneer morphing his mouth. "...for long..." she added.

"It feels long enough... when I have to be separated from you..." Carlyle said bowing his head.

"Oh Carlyle..." the woman stood to her full height, which only came to the man's shoulders, and without a second thought crossed the remaining distance between them and crashed her lips into his, an action that the man quickly and gladly returned with ardor.

During a brief intermission in their kiss, Carlyle softly whispered her name; "Liucia..."

"Mmm..." the girl mumbled, caught in passion.

"You're so beautiful... my own personal angel sent from heaven..."

"No... you're _my_ angel. Or have you forgotten that _you _saved _me?_"

"Yeah I may have saved you, but _you_ saved me just the same. From a life of hatred, anger, and retribution. You're just as much _my_ savior as I am yours..."

"Tell me you love me..." Liucia demanded in her sweet, rich voice, that rolled off her tongue like gentle waves caressing the shore, its sea-foam distilling into Carlyle's eardrums, practically making him shudder.

Carlyle looked deep into her bright violet pools, pulling her in tighter. "I love you... More than anything... Just tell me anything you want, I'll give it to you..."

"I don't want anything besides you..." she said as the ring on her left ring-finger shined brightly in the light. "My acceptance of this is proof of that."

…

Taking advantage of Carlyle's sudden hesitation, Sephiroth swatted Carlyle back into the ground with the blunt side of his blade. The blond crashed into the ground head-first, but surprisingly he got on his knees looking mostly unharmed. _What is this...? What am I seeing? What's happening to me? _Still in midair, Sephiroth fired a Thunder spell his way. Practically on instinct, Carlyle forced the magic back with a burst of energy that then coalesced into a bright aura that swathed the air with power. _What is this power?_

"What the fuck is going on?" Genesis remarked out loud.

Sephiroth landed with grace not a foot away from Carlyle, but he wore a look of confusion and exertion on his face. "What is that? And why does the air suddenly feel so heavy..."

Not even bothering to answer, the blond dashed forward his lance at the ready. Sephiroth had scarcely been able to dodge, before Carlyle came back around for another slash. Then, thrusting forward with his hand, Sephiroth was pushed back by an unseen force. Abruptly, his aura changed to a black color and began to focus around his left hand. _What...?_ It was so strange, but at the same time, it felt so right... "SHADOW SPEAR!" With a flash a blackened blade of energy shot forward ready to pierce the silver warrior. Realizing what was about to happen, he put all his effort into the thought of stopping the blade, and not a moment too soon, for the blade stopped at the nape of Sephiroth's his neck just a centimeter off from penetrating skin.

**Don't do it Carlyle! Kill him, and you'll only prove that you're just as low as he is!**

When Carlyle finally gathered his wits, he still had his 'spear' pressed against Sephiroth's throat, but he also had a a blade at his own throat. "Just one of the many advantages of my sword..." Sephiroth said with a smile. "Let's leave this at a draw, shall we?"

Using the rest of his effort, Carlyle cut off the 'spear', and Sephiroth also lowered his sword. Sephiroth walked over to Carlyle and shook his hand. "That was a great battle... I hope we can battle again someday..."

"Me too..." Carlyle returned a smile, though he felt completely lost on the inside.

"Come, Angeal, Genesis... Let's get going..." normally Genesis might've made a smart remark, but at this moment he and Angeal along with the other onlookers were all transfixed by the fight that had just taken place. "Goodbye Carlyle... May we meet again... And I'll train hard for that day..."

"Me too..." Carlyle said politely as the three SOLDIERS walked off into the forest.

* * *

><p>The entire Lost Force were sitting around in a locker-room, all sweaty and nervous, save Carlyle who was trying to keep his cool and set an example. "We'll be alright guys... Just remember why I chose you guys for my unit... We are the strongest of the strong... Don't you ever forget that..."<p>

"Thanks Cap..." Marcus said, feeling slightly better.

"No prob..."

"You aren't just saying that are you?" Auron asked, laughing nervously.

"Of course not- I'm speaking from the heart... If you guys were useless, I wouldn't have recruited you to my team..." Carlyle said. Then a man with a SOLDIER visor, came inside the room.

"Hey guys! We're ready over here!" With that little judgement, he walked back out of the room, briskly.

Everyone in the room looked around in nervousness. "So who's going first?" One of them queried.

"I'm going first of course..." Carlyle stated aloud, with affirmation and without hesitation. When some questioning glances were thrown his way, he spoke up again. "Well, I'm the Captain, I need to set an example, and boost some morale up in this bitch!" he received some nervous chuckles from his unit.

"Well good luck Cap! We'll be watching from the sidelines!" Jake said, as Carlyle walked out of the door that the other man took. Walking down a long hallway, Carlyle entered a large arena. _Oh boy... I do this and I'm First...What a pain... And what if I don't make it... what will my team think of me...? No... I can't think about what will happen if I fail... think too much about failing and you're just setting yourself up for failure. And that would be retarded to do at this point in the game..._

* * *

><p>POV: Randolph Tyuschung<p>

The 'good doctor' Tyuschung along with some of his other Deepground colleagues were all sitting high up in their comfortable loft (it was made mostly of glass) overlooking the arena. With a sudden start, he pushed his glasses further up his nose as he leaned forward in his seat, gazing down upon the blond warrior now entering the arena. "Ah... So the famed Demon Mirage decides to go first now does he?"

"What I would give to get a sample!" another scientist remarked.

Tyuschung smiled a devilish smile at that prospect. "And we may all get exactly that today..." looking toward a SOLDIER who was standing at the doorway to the loft. "Tell them to send their strongest to fight this man." he commanded to the man who simply saluted his affirmative and quickly exited the area.

"What are you up to Good Doctor?" one of his fellow scientists inquired.

"To kill him of course!" the doctor announced with glee, to the approved nods of the other men in the room. "Do that, and we get the secrets to one of the most powerful SOLDIERS at our disposal! And if he _does_ somehow manage to survive this test, then that will just mean that he is greater than originally anticipated and even more worthy of our looking at..."

"Didn't you already get samples on him?" another wondered.

"Yes... but at that time I was too foolish enough to realize his worth, and hopelessly squandered those resources... I admit I was a fool... But this time, I won't let him slip through my fingers!" he announced with glee.

"You're no fool Good Doctor... who could have known what a perfect specimen that he would turn out to be."

A sudden high-pitched cackle cut through the air, resonating from the source of a man seated in the corner of the loft. Having not said a single word the whole time, each man turned to him, dirty looks upon their person.

"Have you something to contribute? If not I kindly ask you to stop that irritating cackling Hojo."

"You _dare_ speak to me in such a tone?" he spat back.

"If you have something to say, say it already!"

Hojo calmed himself a little, as he sunk back in his chair a sly grin across his face. "You call that man perfect? Bah! Only the Great Sephiroth deserves such a title!"

"Don't be so full of yourself! You just think _you're_ perfect don't you? You feel threatened... If there ever were a warrior greater than that little _pet_ of yours, you'd be out a job!"

Hojo's face became contorted in a flare of rage. "Shut your mouth, you second-rate hack-job! My son is no pet! He is perhaps the greatest human being to ever set foot on this planet! That man down there is just a fluke of nature!"

"We'll see..." Tyuschung said.

* * *

><p>POV: Carlyle Strife<p>

Carlyle was still pacing the arena, waiting and pondering. _What is taking them so long, when are they going to send in my opponent? I'm getting really bored down here! _

"OI!" Carlyle heard Cameron shout up into the loft high above. "WHEN THE FUCK ARE YOU GOING TO SEND IN THE OPPONENT! OUR CAPTAIN IS WAITING!" Osiris tugged him down back into his seat, with a reprimanding glare.

"Calm down... Don't screw this up for him, or yourself... They're the ones who decide whether we get that promotion, you fool! This has been all our dreams hasn't it?"

"You're right... sorry..."

Suddenly all the members of the units' ears pricked up at the sound of their Captain's laughter. "Man, you guys are just hilarious!" Somehow, this little light-hearted moment built some morale; everyone seemed to loosen up, finally feeling comfortable in their seats.

"If the Captain can be calm in the face of adversity than so can we!" Auron said aloud, boosting morale a little further.

Finally, a screech of metal announced the entrance of the enemy as the gate at the far end was lifted and Carlyle saw a shift in the shadows therein. A bright smile tugged at his face in anticipation. He drew just Erinyes from the right holster. "Come! I've been waiting!"

"So hast I, Captain Strife..." A female voice said as the opponent advanced from the shadows.

"What's wrong with Cap?" Marcus asked to the others seated next to him. "He looks like he's seen a ghost..."

"I don't know... perhaps they know each other..." Malik proposed.

"Who cares? What I want to know, is why they got our Captain fighting some woman?" Cameron shouted, most likely so everyone could hear him, the woman, and the people in the loft as well.

Carlyle looked completely shaken, his blades looking like they were about to fall out of his hands. "What?"

"Is something wrong with thou? Take up thine sword... If not I shall run thou through with this blade of mine!" The woman in a predominately white colored Deepground uniform commanded as she brandished her large SOLDIER broadsword.

"Argento? Why are _you_ my opponent?"

"Should it matter who is thine opponent on a real battlefield?"

* * *

><p>POV: Randolph Tyuschung<p>

"Argento is our original and first Tsviet a, person who became well acquainted with our specimen during their SOLDIER training days as cadets... Of course that was back in the day when Shinra still accepted female applicants..."

"I don't understand..."

"Simple! During their field test on actual battlefield Argento was presumably killed right in front of Carlyle... Unbeknownst to him, we took her, revived her and created her into a Super SOLDIER to call our own." Tyuschung explained with a devilish smile. "Not only is she physically powerful, but she holds a strong emotional connection with her... Not only was she his best friend, she also happens to be his wife's sister!"

"But what does that have to do with anything?"

"Easy you fool! He kills her and he kills his heart! He kills her and he becomes our perfect monster! And if he fails, then we get the sample we've all wanted! Also Argento was my old work... It's like the old against the new..."

"You are a sly one Good Doctor! Ingenious!"

* * *

><p>POV: Carlyle Strife<p>

Back on the arena, Carlyle hadn't even moved an inch from his frozen spot. "So Strife... How fares my sister?"

"Argento! What's going on? How are you alive?"

"Answer!"

Carlyle shut his gaping mouth, and narrowed his eyes at her. After a moment of deliberation he decided to answer. "We got married, and had a son- Cloud... She's living peacefully back home in Nibelheim. Of course she believes you and I dead, so maybe she's not doing so fine anymore..." Carlyle said lowering his head.

"Did thou not learn anything in training? Upon display thou hast put thine weakness... If thou decide not to fight, I shall destroy all thou hold dear."

"What're you saying?" Carlyle demanded.

"I shall kill thine wife and thine child! Perhaps, should thou be presented with another chance, thy will not be so ready to show thine weaknesses..."

"ARE YOU CRAZY! YOUR OWN SISTER AND NEPHEW!"

"If this scenario is what provokes thou to engage in battle, then yes." She returned crouching into a low fighting stance.

"Who knew you could be such a bitch... I loved you a long time ago, if you remember... It was you I wanted to be with for the rest of my life... But no matter how much I love you, or what connection we've had in the past... I make no exceptions... ANYBODY WHO THREATENS MY FAMILY IS AS GOOD AS DEAD!" Carlyle hollered as he ran forward.

"Tis what I longed to hear!"

When Carlyle finally entered her sword's range, she swung at him viciously. "Thou art so hasty and foolish!" however just as the blade should have cleaved flesh, her target vanished before her eyes.

"I'LL RIP YOU TO SHREDS!" she heard a voice bellow from behind, as she looked back in time to see wild, savage red eyes glaring down on her.

…

"Cadet Strife! Get yo goddamn fucking scrawny little goddamn ass over here!" Carlyle heard his drill instructor or 'The Lungs' as he and his friends called him, request him over the noise of the mess-hall. Practically every eye in the room snapped over to the blond cadet as he got up from his table and walked over to the hulking man in the middle of the lunch room.

The blond-head snapped into salute, "Sir? What do you request Sir?" the blond finally took notice of a rather pretty brunette girl that was standing next to the Sergeant. _Cute..._

"I want you to take care of the new goddamn recruit! Show her to her goddamn dorms, walk with her to all her classes, show her the ropes! She will be shadowing you from now until you graduate into goddamn fucking SOLDIER! If I see even one goddamn hair out of place on her head, I'll punch your goddamn balls so far into your goddamn pelvis it'll form a goddamn fucking vagina goddammit! Then maybe I'll get an award for creating the world's first fucking transvestite and become a billionaire... In fact... touch her hair!"

"What?" Carlyle asked wide-eyed and confused.

"Touch her hair! I know you want to goddammit! Touch her goddamn fucking hair or everyone in this goddamn room goes down for a thousand goddamn pushups goddammit!"

Knowing that the Sergeant meant whatever he said when it came to handing out physical punishments, Carlyle quickly patted the girls head.

"Good... because you followed my goddamn orders so well, I think that I'll spare your balls for today... But everyone down for a thousand goddammit!" he screeched to the collective groan of everyone present.

Not long after, everyone was on their hands pushing themselves to their limits, hoping to not allow their arms to give out beneath them as they kept going and going for what felt like hours. The only one who looked like they were fine was Carlyle, still in the middle of the mess-hall, barely a drop of sweat upon his brow. Next to him, the brunette looked in awe as she continued with her own pushups.

"Um... I am Argento" she said between breaths. "Argento Strife.

"Hi..." Carlyle began looking over to her as well. "Carlyle Strife."

After the mass 'Pushup Olympics', Carlyle took the responsibility of showing Argento to her dorm. "So besides curfew time, we'll be seeing each other all the time from now on... I'll be standing out here waiting for you tomorrow since you're in all of my classes. Well goodnight and stay safe..."

"Carlyle... May I speak..."

"Sure... shoot ahead."

"Thou art so different from other men... They believe me weaker than they, because I was born a woman... Dost thou perceive me as weak?"

"Of course not!"

"Could it be thou art saying that to copulate with I? "

"Never! I'm telling the truth, when I say that I see potential in you. I just have a knack for gauging strength... and I can tell that in the future you will be quite the formidable SOLDIER."

"My thanks unto thou, Carlyle..."

…

However, somehow Argento's intuition told her that this would happen so she simply rolled out of the way. "Thou hast grown far stronger, Carlyle. As well as faster."

"Well I've been training for years and years, hoping to become a First." Carlyle said, and despite the situation he was actually smiling. "If defeating you is what it takes, then so be it..." He then reached over and drew Anumati combining them to form Meniscus.

"Interesting weapons thou hast." Argento commented.

"Designed them myself..." Carlyle said, though now that he thought about it, he could not recall ever drawing up blueprints or even crafting them. He could only remember having them when he became a SOLDIER, where they came from was suddenly a new mystery.

**The Reaver Sabre, your greatest tool... it shall never leave your side, even should you forget who you are, even if you enter a different body... As long as your soul remains, it is your ultimate companion...**

_What? Who said that?_ Before he even had the chance to collect his thoughts again, he found himself on the defensive of Argento's strikes. Parrying one of her downwards strikes he pushed her blade with his own throwing her off balance, ready to strike with the other end of his bladed lance. To his surprise, it was Argento's turn to show up behind Carlyle with great speed. He performed a quick one-handed back-spring and passed under a horizontal slash from her broadsword. _Damn!_

"Geez! She's good! Who is she!"

"She's his wife's sister..." Osiris answered. "Carlyle told me about her a while back... She was a fellow cadet in SOLDIER training. Said she was killed during a field test."

"Alto Meniscus!" Carlyle pronounced as he jabbed Meniscus into the ground, and produced hidden blades from the two holsters that switched out to become to long and slim swords. With practiced movements he quickly latched them onto Meniscus becoming the new cutting edge for the lance, and further extending it a good foot in each direction, creating a large lance that he then twirled easily with one hand.

"Whoa dude! He just keeps pulling out new tricks!" Jake exclaimed.

"That's our Captain!" Malik agreed.

Carlyle dashed forth, swinging to her head, which she ducked to avoid. Expecting that, he kicked out with his left leg, catching her jaw and sending her flying. She regained her poise midair and landed gracefully. _I equaled Sephiroth! There's nothing I can't handle!_ "Come!"

With a growl Argento dashed at Carlyle, and to her surprise he threw his lance at her which she dodged by arcing her body quickly mid-dash. Unlucky for her, a shout met her ears. "SHADOW THRUST!" Using blackened energy surrounding his left hand, Carlyle thrust his hand out, something that she narrowly avoided by bending backwards still midair. She _did_ avoid his hand... but unfortunately the shadow energy added extended reach to his attack. The 'edge' of the thrust sank into her right cheek and the momentum of her dash carried it upward and through her eye. When she skidded to a stop behind Carlyle she was howling in agony, as blood was gushing. Turning to look at her with a look of remorse, his eyes returned to their natural color.

A voice suddenly spoke over the loud-speaker; "Finish her!"

Carlyle looked into the loft in shock. "What? What're you talking about? She's a fellow SOLDIER!"

"Get rid of your emotions, and finish your enemy!"

"No way..." Carlyle whispered to himself. _This has to be part of the test..._ "No! She's a comrade, a SOLDIER loyal to Shinra just like us! I will not execute a comrade without due recourse!"

"She threatened your family!"

"Only if I wouldn't fight, which as you see is what I did! My test is over... my opponent is incapacitated, I have no reason to kill her!"

Back in the loft the scientists were discussing this amongst themselves. "Turns out he's not _perfect_..."

Suddenly Attacus tore his way down from the stands drawing his blade and walking over to the grounded Argento. Carlyle stepped in his way and put a hand on his shoulder. "What're you doing Attacus? Back to the stands!"

"Shut it." Attacus spat back at him.

Carlyle narrowed his eyes at him in shock. "What was that? Would you mind repeating what you just said."

"Kindly..." Attacus said standing firm, blade still in hand. "I told you to shut it. It doesn't matter if you're my Captain, or how good you are at battle, your emotions make you weak. If you're not going to kill her, then I will... and prove myself worthy of SOLDIER."

"Attacus, you better get yourself back to those stands or I'll have to put you in your place." Carlyle told the man.

"I should've been Captain..."

"We've already been over this..." Carlyle sighed deeply, tired of the same old argument. It had been a long time since Attacus had brought it up, Carlyle supposed that he had finally gotten over it.

"Shut up! I don't care if the President made you Captain over me... You just aren't fit for the job... and then you went and made Osiris your first lieutenant over me. Today will be the day I prove who is the stronger of the two of us. I'll begin by showing that I can be more emotionless than you can." Attacus stode past Carlyle, casting him a dirty glare as walked up to Argento who was whimpering upon the floor in pain. He lifted his sword above his head, his face just a stoic and cold glare upon the woman. He swung his blade down only too meet the end of Carlyle's.

"How dare you betray me Attacus!"

"I'm tired of serving you... for a while there I actually came to respect you. You were a demon on the battlefield, you enjoyed torturing your enemies, and bathed in the blood of a thousand soldiers. But now, for whatever reason, you've suddenly turned soft... I now realize that you were only able to kill if it was someone you had no previous connection with. What if Shinra tells you to kill your own son, what then huh? Would you betray Shinra over your weakness? Shinra deserves someone like me leading this team... Someone who can get the job done no matter what and doesn't let his emotions get in the way. Carlyle you've done your time, now allow me to discharge you... I'll at the least give you an honorable death in thanks for your services, but- WE NO LONGER NEED YOU!"

"Attacus stop this!" Osiris demanded as he rose from the stands, ready to defend Carlyle.

"Hold!" Carlyle said making Osiris look at him in surprise. "If he wants a fight, then so be it." Carlyle said stabbing Alto Meniscus into the ground and he stretched out his two hands to his sides. "You won't even be able to touch me."

Attacus scoffed. "What? You think that just because you were able to keep up with Sephiroth, that that makes you better than I? That was just a fluke. I saw you- how much you hesitated, how you could barely keep up... You're weak, and I'll expose it for all to see!" He howled as he swung at Carlyle. All his blade met was air however. Carlyle ducked out of the way of the sword, and dashed away.

"Always running about, aren't you Carlyle?" Attacus said to the man, as he walked forward pointing his blade in his direction. Carlyle streaked past Attacus and dove for his lance that was still imbedded into the ground. Grabbing the blade he flipped mid-air back onto his feet, looking to Attacus with anger. With quick hands, Carlyle removed the two extension blades off Alto Meniscus and returned them to their holsters. Running back at Attacus he split the lance back into their respective swords. To his surprise his subordinate caught a slash with a well-timed parry. "Did you really believe that it would be that easy? You were probably thinking, 'If I held my own against Sephiroth and Argento then this guy will be a breeze.' Well sorry to tell you this, but I've been training my ass off, waiting for the moment to pull you down from your pedestal. You have you nose so high in the sky that you didn't even notice me rising up to tear you back down!" Attacus said putting surprising force into his blade and pushed Carlyle back.

"Congratulations, Captain Carlyle Strife! From this day forth you are now officially inducted into First Class! Sergeant Major Attacus Solaris return your to your seat and a wait your test."

Carlyle was still standing there, dumbfounded by Attacus' new-found strength. _Where did that come from...?_ Attacus sneered at Carlyle before returning to his spot in the stands, the rest of the unit giving him dirty looks. "One day, you will no longer be in command Carlyle, and I'll turn Deepground into a house of the most powerful warriors the world will ever know! I'll be the one to lead Shinra into a new era of power! Eventually even the president himself will have bow in my presence..." he said as he sat, madness twinkling in his eyes. _Whatever happened to you Attacus? You... Osiris... I... we used to be such good friends... What happened to that...? So damn random!_

* * *

><p>It was now three months after that day... Malik, Auron, and Marcus were dead, Attacus was now in control, and everything was basically running down the shitter... Carlyle was walking inside inner Deepground absorbed within his thoughts, when he picked up on the crying of a child, likely female from the sound of it.<p>

He turned back in that direction, following it to a small child huddled and weeping in the corner. "Hey..." Carlyle got her attention, as the auburn-red haired girl looked up with eyes wide in terror. "You don't have to be scared... Now tell me, what's wrong?"

"Don't act like you're my friend..." the little girl mumbled, and even though he heard her, Carlyle made her repeat what she she said out loud. "I said, don't act like you're my friend!"

"I'm not... I'm not some saint, I admit that... No one is. I just met you after all... but no way can I walk away from someone in need. You don't have to be friends to give help to somebody." Carlyle expressed

This caught the girl off guard as she lowered her eyes back to the ground. "Everything that I thought was true is a lie..."

"Explain." Carlyle said.

"All my friends, the grown-ups that I thought would always take care of me, they all just want to see me suffer..."

It was now Carlyle's turn to be caught by surprise. _Wait... It can't be...! She's in the Deepground training program? This young? That 's crazy... Shinra's getting out of hand with this... _

"Is there anyway that you can help me?" the girl pleaded.

"I'm sorry... But I'm not so sure..."

"But you just said..."

"I know what I said, but I don't want to get your hopes up... Now that does not mean that I'm not going to try as hard as I can. The Shinra that I thought I was working for has turned out to be a corrupt monster that care only for power. I'm going to do anything and everything in my power to change it..."

"You're just a liar like everyone else!" the girl snapped.

"I'm not trying to convince you to trust me... Anyone who accepts another's word wholeheartedly off the bat is a fool. When you see this place changed, that's when you can trust my word. Until then I accept any and all of your suspicion, especially after what you've been through."

The girl's face changed to a mixture of wonder and confusion. "Even if you were telling the truth, why would you try so hard for a stranger?"

"Must I need a reason to help someone?" Carlyle returned, sincerely. "To help a stranger, is probably the best kind of help one can give."

This statement probably struck the girl the most, Carlyle could see. _She's probably not used to kindness... _"What's your name anyway?"

"Rosso... What about you?"

"Carlyle Strife." he pronounced proudly, feeling a little better about himself, now the the girl was done crying. "Now dry those tears of yours... Come with me."

The girl was about to take his outstretched hand but suddenly jerked back in fear. "How do I know that you're not going to take me somewhere to torture me? How do I know that they aren't trying some new tactic?"

"Like I said... at this moment I can't prove myself worthy of your trust... You have to decide for yourself whether or not you want to walk this path with me." the girl stood up on her own, giving his hand a wary look, but nonetheless she seemed to give a little bit of her trust at that moment as she shakily put his hand into his grasp.

"Where are we going?" Rosso asked.

"To my quarters... and don't worry I promise I won't do anything to you. I want to help you." Carlyle said to the helpless little child.

When they finally got to his room, Carlyle locked the door behind him and set the girl upon his raised bed. "Now that we're alone... take your clothes off."

The little Rosso's eyes shot up to his with terror and disbelief. "What?" she whimpered.

"Sorry... not like that..." Carlyle shook his head at himself. He knew how brash and straightforward he could be, sometimes he just couldn't help it. "I need to check for wounds. Do you have a bra under?"

When the girl shook her head, he went and grabbed a scarf off a hook on the wall. "Here... I'll turn around, you take your shirt off, and hold this scarf to cover yourself. When your ready just tell me." A moment later, he heard Rosso's whispered 'okay'. He turned back to her and walked over behind her and tied the scarf up in the back. "There... See, you can trust me." The carmine-head gave a single diminutive nod, as he scanned for any wounds upon the child's flesh. He then took notice of the bone that seemed to protrude from her sickly flesh. _She's practically a skeleton! Do they even feed her in this place? This keeps up and she'll start suffering malnutrition! _"Hmm... funny... I thought I smelled blood. But now that I think of it, it seems that the blood I smelled was a different scent from the blood I smell inside your body..."

"You can do that?" Rosso queried. "Not even the other's I've met can do that... Only I seem to be cable of it..."

"Yeah, I can do it too. I guess we just got lucky with getting better senses than others... Or perhaps, we _already _had above average sense from the start, and the Mako simply multiplied that.

"That's cool, to meet someone else like me..."

"So... do you know who's blood that was that I smelled?"

"It was the bad man's..." came the girl's cryptic response.

Carlyle looked down on her with a questioning glare. "Bad man's?"

"Yeah... the scientists... they were doing a test... they had a bad man beat me. I got angry, so I..."

"You killed him didn't you...?" Carlyle deduced. When the girl nodded and he noticed a single tear stream down her rosy cheek, he gave a long sigh. "Listen... I know you feel bad... and that you don't want to do stuff like that, but... life is a precious, precious thing, and if to take life is what it takes to protect it, then there is nothing wrong with that. You were simply protecting yourself, okay?" Carlyle turned the girl toward him, and tilted her chin to his direction looking deep into her sky-blue eyes- the same as his. "Now I'm not saying to not feel bad about it... I don't want you to become desensitized to murder, but I don't want you to give into despair either. Do that, and you'll never survive down here. And I'll tell you right now, that the people in charge of this operation are sitting up high in the world above, drinking champagne while we suffer down here in hell. I know it is not easy, but this is what you have to do to survive... Your life is too precious to give to these bastards. If you can find a way to live through this, and I'll do everything in my power to make sure that you do- then we can change this place for the better and ensure that no one else suffers as you have. Again... it isn't easy but sometimes it takes a person to suffer so that the others don't have to, as evil as it sounds."

"I think I understand..." Rosso said.

"Good..." Carlyle patted the girl's head. "Now if you ever need help, I'll always be here for you. Always..."

"Thanks... You're much better than the last person I put my trust in... I just hope you don't turn out be just as big a traitor..." the little girl expressed.

"I promise that won't ever happen..." Carlyle assured.

* * *

><p>POV: Ayane Strife<p>

**[ μ ] – εуλ 1997**

Cloud was off at school, and Ayane was currently standing by her sink washing the dishes as her little radio played in the background. Taking a little pause to wipe some sweat from her brow (it was the middle of March after all) her thoughts drifted to her handsome little boy who began to look more and more like _him_ as the days went by. _If only you could be here to see it..._ Suddenly a large bang broke her out of her thoughts, as she looked to the direction of the noise, being the front door. Without a second thought she grabbed the rifle she kept high on top of the shelves in the kitchen having to stand upon her tiptoes to even reach it. Making sure it was loaded, she then walked over to the front door, which was perfectly shut. _What the?_ "Who's there?" She demanded in a croaky voice. "I-I have a weapon."

A holler, that sounded much more like a roar resonated through the house as a man pounced on the woman from seemingly thin air. The woman shrieked at the top of her lungs before she was tackled to the floor and the rifle flew from her hands. She bucked and jerked trying to fight off the two strong hands that kept her pinned to the floor. "Don't! I have a child! Please! Don't rape me!"

"Shut the fuck up!" came the gruff response, that made the blonde woman freeze in terror, confusion, and... nostalgia? Feeling her eyes finally focus in on the face of her attacker her eyes practically flew out their sockets. Feeling tears well up in her eyes, she worked her way past that lump in her throat.

"C-Carlyle?" The man before her was a shadow of his former self, his face was haggard and unshaven. His hair stuck up in all kinds of directions, and not like its usual cool spikiness either. Rather it came down to the middle of his back in crazy spiky disheveled waves. Tears were streaming down his face as well, as he stared deep into her eyes unmoving. "Carlyle!" She didn't care that he just tackled her or that he just told her to 'shut the fuck up', at this moment all she cared about was the well being of her love.

"I said shut up!"

"But you-"

Then his fist connected with her face, sending her into a daze as she felt hot liquid pour down her nose and mouth. She was certain that something had broken from the blow. She was utterly astonished at his action, he had never ever raised even a finger in her direction before, and here he was punching her in the face. The worst their domestic disputes ever got was her calling him a 'loser', but never had he even called her names much less curse at her.

"When I tell you to shut up... YOU SHUT UP!" he picked her up by the collar of her shirt and threw into a wall nearby sending a fist into her solar-plexus. She screamed in pain and heard some of her ribs crack. "SHUT UP! DON'T YOU EVEN SCREAM!" He then held her up by her collar as he pressed his face up close to hers.

Ayane looked into those eyes that were now burning with rage and colored in crimson, completely different from the eyes that she had fell in love with those years ago. "Why?"

Carlyle pulled her from the wall and slammed her back into it, making her scream in pain once more. "Only when I give you permission to talk!" Suddenly fresh tears began to fall from his eyes, and his face morphed to remorse and sadness. "Ayane... What am I?"

"Somehow I always knew you were still alive... you were the strongest person I ever met, an other worldly power you held... There was no way something like _that_ could've killed you..."

"Answer me!" Carlyle spat.

"You are inhuman... you are something so much more..."

"Why didn't you ever tell me? Why am I seeing these visions? What are these images even _of_? Who am I...? Am I really Carlyle? DOES THAT PERSON EVEN EXIST?"

"Of course he does... What you are seeing are images of you. Of your past... I knew I would have to explain this to you eventually, when you lost your memories. We always thought that it would be _me_ to lose their memories, but mine returned shortly after my twelfth birthday while _yours_ seeped into the back of your brain."

"What are you talking about?"

"We've known each other far longer than you think... We knew each other in other lives... in a completely different time, in a different dimension... You told me everything there was to know about you, your kind and the planet that you came from."

"Planet? What're talking about? Make some sense!"

"You're not human... you are an Almiran. A being born for battle. You were considered the perfect being, the ultimate Almiran, the ultimate warrior, literally an Angel of Death walking the world. Of course you aren't perfect though, no one is... I guess what made you weaker in others' eyes, but stronger in mine were your human emotions."

"My God..." Carlyle said as he slowly lowered the woman to the ground, gripping his head within his hands. "Ah! It hurts! Ayane I'm so sorry... I was just so confused... My mind was a haze! I couldn't think clearly, and everyday it felt like I was drifting more and more into madness!"

"I don't blame you."

"I couldn't take it anymore! So I sneaked out of Shinra and came to find you... after all, a lot of the visions were of you, at least I think they were..."

"They were probably of the 'old me'..."

"I still don't understand..." Carlyle said as he released his head from his hands, and cast a spell without any Materia whatsoever that instantly healed the blonde before him as if nothing happened.

"All will be revealed in due time..." she said as she stroked his cheek.

* * *

><p>POV: Carlyle &amp; Ayane<p>

Carlyle exited the bathroom cleanly shaven. "I just remembered something..." he began as he walked into Ayane's bedroom. "My mom... She was a hairdresser... I remember picking up on cutting hair from watching her... Also- do you remember why I came here in the first place?"

"Well back in the old me, the last thing you said to me before you left was that you were chasing down some kind of twisted, warped and extremely powerful Almiran... Can't remember what it's name was... Genesis... John... Nova." Her eyes widened in recognition at that moment and she snapped her fingers. "Now I remember! Jenova! That was her name! Last you saw me back in that time, you said you were tracking her down, and that she was on the move getting ready to attack another planet. That must be why you came here those years ago. Unlucky for you, somehow you reverted back to your old fifteen year old self and lost your memories. How that happened I'm not sure... So this Jenova _must_ be somewhere on Gaia! But forget about that until you've regained the rest of your memories okay? Don't want to strain yourself especially because you need to regain all the strength you used to have."

"What?" Carlyle queried. "I think I'm fine strength wise... I fought evenly with the Great General Sephiroth after all..."

"Hah! Sephiroth? With the strength you _used_ to have, you'd have easily torn him apart with one swipe of your blade! You used to level mountains! But enough about that..." Ayane said as she got up and pushed him back into the bathroom and handed him the barber scissors into his hand. "I haven't had a _good_ haircut since you've been gone. Now make yourself useful!"

Carlyle chuckled lightly, then feigned offense. "Ah, that hurts! Is this _all_ I'm good for in your eyes?"

Ayane chuckled as well. "Why of course!" then she said in a more somber tone that pierced his heart to the core; "Besides making beautiful babies I guess..."

He had to fight the tears back as he forced himself to ask the question he'd been wanting to ask, beginning on cutting his lover's hair. "H-How is he? How is Cloud?"

"He's beautiful Carlyle... the most handsome thing you'll ever set your eyes on. But... he's still torn up about you... A couple of years ago, the mayor's daughter-"

"Tifa right?"

"Mm hmm... well she made a trip up to Mount Nibel after her mother died... that old bridge broke and they bother fell to the bottom... he survived with nothing more than skinned knees, probably the help of his heritage..." she said turning ever so slightly in his direction.

"Careful! You'll ruin my masterpiece!" Carlyle turned her head back to looking directly ahead.

"Sorry... but anyway, Tifa went into a coma for seven days, and they all blamed _him_ for it though he tried to save her... It reminded him of you, and how he blames himself for your 'death' and how much he hated himself for it, and everyone else. He gets in fights all the time, sometimes for the most downright stupidest things... I'm worried about him..." then her face glowed in happiness. "But now that your here, things will change!"

Carlyle kept cutting, but Ayane sensed something in the air had change. _What is it? Sadness... or resolution?_

"I'm so sorry Ayane but I can't stay... I have to go back to Deepground or else we'll spend all our years running from Shinra for my betrayal... Besides there are people down there that need my help... I can't let them down... Please understand."

_Ah so it was both of those feelings then... _Ayane wanted to dip her head down in sorrow, but didn't want to butcher her hair. "I see... I understand. You were always the type that couldn't turn away from a person in need... it was how we first met after all... Our _very_ first meeting..."

"I'm sorry but I can't remember that..."

"It's okay. It'll come back eventually. I'll let you go back as long as you promise to do everything in your power to help those people, and that when you are done you will come back to us."

"I promise my love..." Carlyle said as he just finished with her hair. "It's done!"

She turned to the mirror and gasped with glee. "Oh Carlyle, it's wonderful! You haven't lost your touch." Then once Carlyle had cleaned up and all, she rose from her chair and walked up to the man. "And now for your reward..."

Carlyle gave her a questioning arc of the brow, to which she put a mischievous smile on her lips. She quickly went down to a squatting position and deftly unbuckled the man's pants reached in and pulled out his erect member that still managed to surprise her with its size. _Almost forgot how big! _"Already hard? What were _you_ thinking about while doing my hair?" Without even a warning or request for permission she shoved the length of it into her mouth and nearly gagged on it, having not had one in her mouth since the man's supposed death. She was a quick learner though, and quickly got to work bobbing her head back and forth, stroking the base of his shaft with her left hand, and massaged his length with the muscles in the back of her throat.

Carlyle had almost forgotten how good his wife was at oral, as a gasp escaped his throat upon her rather skilled ministrations. He could only hear the slurping noise from the mouth around his manhood and the buzzing at the back of his skull, as he tilted his head back with pleasure. "Ayane..." he moaned.

With that, she lost it. She couldn't take not pleasing herself. _Especially_ after the way his sexy voice moaned her name, forget it! Deep in lust, his cock still deep in her throat, she reached down with her right hand and pulled up her skirt. She pushed her panties out of the way, and quickly got to work at rubbing her sex at a furious pace. "Mm..." she moaned around his member, the reverberations adding to the pressure, eliciting another moan from the man above her.

"How are you so good at this?" he questioned the air. He looked down to the love below him, her beauty dazzling him and bringing a small tear to his eyes. _How did I ever get so lucky to have you?_ "You're so dirty... sucking a dead man's dick, and rubbing your clit like that."

Ayane chuckled sending more reverberations down his shaft. "Tastes so fucking good..." she said as she took his member from her mouth for a mere second, before shoving it back down. She bobbed faster and faster, rubbed her wet lips faster and faster until she was sure he was about to reach his climax and quickly tore her mouth away from his throbbing member. She looked up into his red face, a smile upon her lips.

"How do you always know?" he asked out of breath.

"When you're going to cum? Intuition I guess." she smiled harder. "You got some drool..."

Carlyle wiped the saliva from the corner of his mouth and without warning dropped down and pushed her to the bathroom floor so that she was lying upon her back. He crawled up to her and kissed her full on the mouth with deep lust.

"You know..." she began as she broke the kiss. "I could never understand how you could kiss me after what I just did with my mouth."

"Who cares?" Carlyle said with a smile. "It's not like it was someone else's penis... It's really just a stick of flesh and it's part of _my_ body. You're too beautiful _not_ to kiss anyways, no matter where that mouth has been." he explained as she smiled and they kissed deeper this time, as he slipped his tongue into her mouth and massaged hers and all her mouth.

"You're such a wierdo!" she said with a chuckle, when they broke the kiss to catch their breath.

Carlyle chuckled as well as he crawled back down, and without warning tore her legs open and shoved his face upon her wet mound of flesh, making her gasp in shock. "Revenge!" he said as he brought his face back into her wet, pink lips, slipping his tongue into her opening.

"Oh! Carlyle!" She screamed in pleasure as he demonstrated his own skills in oral.

He, with ease, quickly pinpointed the 'button' beneath her hood and took to rubbing it with his finger viciously. He lapped at her lips and tickled her clitoris with his tongue as he inserted two fingers down her passage. She moaned and buckled beneath his hands, and he smiled at her pleasure. He removed his fingers from her sex and licked them clean, enjoying the savory taste that met his tongue. _Almost forgot how good she tasted too..._ "But this tastes a thousand times better..." he announced, before two small and dainty hands reached behind his head and shoved his face back into her pink flesh.

"Don't you _dare_ stop eating me!" she scolded.

He decided to show his apology by lapping at her button a few times, making her shudder, and returned to sticking his tongue through her muscular vagina. A few minutes later and Carlyle was on the receiving end of the woman's orgasmic juices, as she vocalized her pleasure in a loud manner. Her mind still a haze from the wave of pleasure that had just overtaken her, she suddenly found herself in Carlyle's arms as he carried her into their bedroom. "It's been so long hasn't it?" she expressed with a smile, once she found her voice.

"Yes it has... I've missed you so much... I never want to leave your side again, but... there are people who need me, people who are suffering." Carlyle said as he laid her on the bed and laid on top of her, running his hand through her golden locks.

"I understand Car... So let us enjoy this moment while we can..." She said.

Carlyle nodded in agreement, as they completely removed their garments and gazed upon each others bare bodies like newlyweds. "You are so beautiful..." Carlyle said as he lowered his lips to hers and they shared a most intimate kiss, not lustful like before, but full of longing and regret. It was as if time had stopped, and in that moment their bodies had melded together, revealing to each other their hearts.

They parted their lips in pain, as if this would be the last kiss they would ever share, and their eyes welled to the brim with saltine tears. "Look at us..." Ayane began trying to smile. "Making love, and crying like the world is going to end tomorrow..."

"And for all we know, it could, so like you said- let's make the best of this..." and then their lips were locked once more, as Carlyle wrapped her in a tight embrace, and Ayane's hands roved over his muscular back. Before they even knew it, they were already pulsing back and forth as Ayane felt his throbbing manhood inside her heat. A whimper of pleasure, and partly from the fact that she'll never be able to feel this way again, escaped her parted lips. She threw her head back as he picked up the pace, and began to fondle her nipples lowering his head to her right breast and began to suckle on the pink protruding flesh. Their sweat covered bodies rubbed together as they held to each other tighter, whispering words of love and tenderness. Carlyle quickly rediscovered her G-spot and focused in on that spot, knowing he had it right by her loud pleasured call. They were in a world all their own, as they continued for what could've been hours. Ayane cried out in delight as her orgasm took hold of her womanhood, and grasped her entire body and mind in its clutch of ecstasy. As her fleshy passage pulsed and throbbed Carlyle too was sent over the edge as he felt his time come and he expelled his substance inside of her. Carlyle moaned her name, as they relished in their moment of love. Just when he seemed to have poured every ounce of semen he had left, a voice sounded from the doorway, soft as it was a bullet to his heart as he quickly retreated from his lover's body and turned away.

"Cloud!" Ayane screamed as she frantically grabbed for the sheets and covered her body. Lucky Carlyle didn't currently have his trademark spikes else he'd have been found out.

"You can't let him know I'm alive... I'm sorry..." Carlyle whispered to Ayane. _It would only be harder on him, knowing I betrayed him and am going back to Deeppground..._

* * *

><p>POV: Young Cloud Strife<p>

"Mom?" the blond-haired boy exclaimed from the doorway, horrified at what he just witnessed. Ayane was sitting in the bed in equal horror. "What-?"

"Cloud go to your room!" Ayane commanded not sure what else to do.

"Who is _he_?" Cloud demanded, not moving an inch from where he was standing. He wasn't entirely sure what exactly it was that they were doing, but he had a feeling that it was _supposed_ to be something that is meant to be kept between people that love one another and have a connection with one another. In other words, in his mind, Ayane was betraying his father right now. "How could you?"

"Cloud, this is none of your business, now go to your room!"

Tears began to pour from the boy's eyes, unbelieving of what he was seeing. _I thought they loved each other... How could she go to another man? How could she betray papa? _"I HATE YOU!" the boy screamed as he ran from the room and slammed his door behind him, diving onto his bed and bawling his eyes out. He reached under his pillow and pulled out a magazine he had found a while back, his hero plastered across the front page. He flipped through the magazine to the page he'd been staring at for years, the SOLDIER recruitment page. _One day, I'll join SOLDIER! I'll get away from this town, and become the best there ever was! I'll even get Sephiroth to respect me! _He said to himself as he turned back to the front cover, the green, slitted, eyes of his hero looking into own. Cloud marveled at the silver mane of hair that blew in the breeze and the tall blade that he wielded in his leftmost hand.

I'll be the best SOLDIER in history!

And that's a promise!

* * *

><p><strong>Cold Hard Facts: <strong>Meniscus is from the Greek for 'Crescent'

**Author's Note: **The reason that I decided to be cruel and make Cloud catch his parents 'doing the do' was due to the signs I got from the game about Cloud's and his mom's relationship. In the game, from the way he talks about his mother and the few flashbacks with her and him, you get a sense of distance. She tries to remind him that she'll always be his mother, and it's almost like Cloud sort of holds her at a distance. Of course this could've been because of his shame in coming home not in SOLDIER, but it doesn't make sense that he would treat his obviously loving and supportive mother like that. Of course he loves her, he grieves her death, but it's like he just couldn't seem to get close to her while she was alive. At least this is my opinion and interpretation on their relationship. So while I was writing this bow-chika-wow-wow scene the idea of Cloud catching them came to mind, and that he would come to believe that his mom betrayed his father and that he can never _truly_ forgive her for that.


	12. Chapter Ten: Awakening

**Author's Note: **I wanted this up earlier but due to circumstances in my life that I won't get into, I couldn't update it. I'm very sincerely sorry, but I suppose you guys are used to my randomness by now. Anyways I hope you read and enjoy! And of course review! Even blatant hatred and bashing is welcome now (no not really...)!

* * *

><p><span>Chapter Ten: Awakening<span>

POV: Cloud Strife

CLOUD craved all the information on his father that he could garner, so he had invited the man called Jake Verne over to the lodge so they could have a better talk about his father's past. Honestly up until now he could have cared less about everything to have to do with anything about his father, even despite how much he had cared for his father as a child. Cloud after many years began to hold an inexplicable feeling of loathing for Carlyle. Even though Cloud knew that his death could have never been Carlyle's fault, he felt that any father who truly cared for his family would not pick a career so dangerous, a job where every day was a risk and a new meeting with death. It became his view that his father was only asking for death, the result was a somewhat closer relationship with his mother. He would write to his mother at least once a month upon entering the army, but after his refusal into the SOLDIER program they fell out of touch. It wasn't until they finally saw each other on that day in Nibelheim that she had even learned that Cloud had not made SOLDIER. He could still remember that awkward conversation...

…

After a little conversation with Zack, Cloud had to finally tell himself that he had belayed the inevitable long enough. He gulped down the last bit of nervousness that he held and entered his old childhood home wondering just how his mother was going to take the news that he had in store for her.

"Uh?" Despite everything that he had ready this was the only thing that his vocal cords could manage as he laid eyes on his beautiful mother. She was standing by the sink, she and her golden locks, just the way he remembered her.

His mother had already turned to him, abandoning the dishes in the sink when she heard someone enter her home. "Yes?" the woman asked politely. Then Cloud could practically see the surge of recognition as her eyes lit up and she ran over to him in delight. "Cloud?"

Cloud neither affirmed or denied the woman's question but she probably already knew the answer, for she was already bowing slightly, a giant smile alight upon her face. "Welcome home Cloud!"

"Hi mom." Cloud stated as he scratched the back of his head.

"Well come in, come in! You're finally home after all these years, no need to act like a stranger in this house!" Ayane, Cloud's mother insisted. "I wish you would have wrote to me, I could have planned something!"

"It's fine mom, I don't need anything other than to see you." Cloud said sincerely as he stepped further into his childhood home. Nothing at all had changed in the couple years he had left it. Neither had his mother changed, still the vibrant, loving yet firm woman he had grown up with.

"Come, come... Let me take a look at you!" Ayane waved him over to her as she extended a hand to run a hand through his hair. "I see you decided to keep your father's old hairstyle even after all these years hmm... You look so handsome." she stated as she cupped his cheek in her hand. Taking a step back, she allowed herself a better look at him and his uniform. "So is this a SOLDIER uniform?"

With this question thrust upon him, Cloud's eyes intermediately found a spot on the floor to stare at. "...Mom, I..."

"Hmm...? What is it son?" Ayane encouraged as she stooped down trying to get a better look past the hair. Finally she brought her hand forward again and by the chin raised his head to face her. Still though Cloud could not bare to look upon her so his eye's shifted to the window at his left. "Look at me. You know you can tell me anything right?" She cupped his face with both of her hands, squishing his cheeks as though he were still a child. In a way it frustrated him, but in another it felt so right.

"Mom... I... Never made SOLDIER..." Cloud let the truth loose from his mouth as tears threatened to spill forth as a mark of his shame.

…

Everyone, including Cid, Reeve, Tifa, and even Rosso sat in silence inside the living room. Normally he'd have wanted to have a talk like this in private, but he needed all the opinions he could gather about this new mystery of his father, and Rufus probably knew more about Shinra's dirty secrets than anyone in the room. Tifa walked in from the kitchen where she had been making everyone tea, a plate of steaming mugs in hand. She set the plate upon the table at the center of the room and handed a mug to Jake especially for him, the 'guest of honor'. Jake mumbled a soft thanks, and everyone grabbed a mug for themselves from the table and retook their places around the room- each with their eyes set upon this former SOLDIER of Lost Force.

"You sure have grown into quite the man Cloud, I'm sure your father would be proud on how you've turned out..." Jake said, with a solemn far-off gaze. He then turned his attention to the hooded figure of the man in the wheelchair. "And you... what a surprise to see you here of all places mister president... I remember meeting you when you were just a toddler in the room as your father handed orders to us."

Rufus made a non-committal grunt, as he shifted around in his place. Jake silently scanned over the rest of the group before settling on Tseng. "Ah, even the second in command of the Turks is here... your group seems smaller than when last I worked with you guys."

Tseng met the man's gaze with his own icy stare. "I'm _Director_ of the Turks now actually..." Tseng said in a matter of fact tone, as their silent competition of glares continued. Cloud sat as a simple onlooker as the silent battle of eyes waged on. Cloud's own gaze shifted back and forth from Jake's smiling face to Tseng's indifferent, cold countenance. Surprisingly it was Tseng who was first to look away, unable to continue to meet the man's view any longer, as a single a single bead of sweat trailed down his forehead.

With that finally done, Jake's eyes finally returned back to Cloud as he licked his lips and took a swig of tea before setting it down on the table between the two of them. "So what is it you would like to know?" Jake asked aloud as he stared into the depths of his drink for a moment before looking directly at Cloud.

"Well anything and everything that you know about my father really." Cloud answered honestly. He wanted to obtain as much information on his father as possible. "If I thought I didn't know him before, now I realize that he is a complete stranger to me... His name is really all I know... I couldn't even name his profession correctly let alone what his voice even sounded like..."

"Well as I've stated already, Carlyle was perhaps the bravest, strongest, wisest man I've ever known or perhaps ever will. He had a way of seeing the strength within you even when you couldn't see it yourself. I first met him when I was eighteen, a few years after joining the army. For whatever reason he saw something in me that I just couldn't acknowledge was even there..."

…

A young Jake Verne had just finished with his practice session in a secluded simulation room on the SOLDIER floor. He picked his sword off the ground from where it lay and wiped some grime off the edge with a rag he produced from his pocket. Before sticking it back in his pocket he wiped his sweat drenched forehead and twirled about his sword before slinging it onto his back with a huff. With a quick series of stretches he attempted to loosen his sore muscles. Suddenly a voice as smooth as silk broke through his concentration. "And what are we up to?"

Jake gave a single startled yelp as he spun around to face a spiky-headed blond man in a SOLDIER 2nd class uniform walking his way."

Jake snapped to immediate salute and the man flashed him a brilliant smile as continued walking over to the boy. "Nothing sir!"

"Now what is a Shinra infantryman doing up here in a SOLDIER simulation room, with a SOLDIER issued broadsword and materia that he isn't allowed to use?" Carlyle asked as he pointed toward Jake's armlet which housed three glowing orbs of crystallized mako.

"I'm sorry sir... I wasn't meaning to sneak about, I was just training..."

"For what? Infantryman specialize in firearms not swords, they aren't allowed to handle materia, and they wouldn't rush into a battle with a behemoth like the one you fought in the simulation; they would send a SOLDIER such as myself to deal with that." Carlyle countered, cornering the shaking and distraught Jake. "You are training for situations that are likely to never occur in your line of duty. So again I ask, what were you doing in here, and without permission I'm guessing?"

"I'm sorry sir! It won't happen again! Please don't report me, I'm sorry!" Jake pleaded.

"No... you're not sorry that you did what you did. You're sorry that you got caught, otherwise you wouldn't have come here everyday at three in the morning." Carlyle spat, a vicious scowl set upon his face. "You know what I see? I see a deadbeat scoundrel, with no regard for the rules and practices set forth by Shinra. I see someone who deserves nothing less but the severest of punishments for a man that would steal keycards to a simulation room, take a SOLDIER's weapon, and even steal their training Materia!"

"I'm so sorry..." Jake said softly, on the verge of tears as the man continued to lay into him.

"You are but a man lost in the past, a failure with sky-high wishes of being in SOLDIER! Well guess what? YOU'RE NOT SOLDIER!" the blond shouted making Jake flinch. "But you know what...? You can be..." the man said softly with a suddenly bright grin making Jake stare at him in bewilderment. "Because you know what I else I see? The _perfect_ underling for me to train!"

"W- What?" Jake sputtered, not sure if he heard correctly. "Excuse me sir, but I'm slightly confused... You wish to become my mentor?"

"That is correct." the man said with a slight nod.

"But... I'm a failure... I've been in Shinra since the day I turned fourteen, that was four years ago. I've failed the SOLDIER entrance exam four times... That's twice more than they even allow a single person to take the test... My body's not even compatible with Mako... You shouldn't waste your time..."

"You might not realize it, but I can see the talent within you. I've been watching you for a while now and there aren't many SOLDIERS, not even in my own class, that can accomplish the feats that you can... If you let me, I can make you into the best SOLDIER there ever was."

…

"So he took me on his protege, and in just a year and a half got me into 2nd class..." Jake said with a far off look, staring at the wall in reminiscence. "Then he offered me a place on a squad that he was putting together on command of the president himself. I, of course, didn't hesitate in taking up that offer. The man was my hero, and I would've done anything just to be close to him... That is, until those exams back in Deepground... a nightmare..."

…

Attacus was standing in the middle of the Deepground arena covered in blood and a twisted smile upon his face. At his feet was the bloodied mangled corpse of a SOLDIER, the man barely recognizable to Jake from when he had first stepped onto the arena. Attacus in a display of his grotesque and warped state of mind licked clean his bloodstained, gore drenched sword before it was announced by the examiners that he had passed the test. The twisted crooked smirk still alight on his lips, he lumbered back over to the stands where he demanded who would be going next for the horrendous tests of strength and will. "Now do you see my strength _Captain_?" He said to Jake's mentor in plainly apparent spite.

Without warning his mentor, who happened to be sitting on the stands right next him rose and in a thunderous hoarse voice yelled into the spectators box above them. "What kind of game are you people playing? Why are you having us fight fellow SOLDIERS? A 1st class exam is supposed to be either against monsters or through a field mission! These are our comrades you're having us kill!"

With a brief buzz of static the loudspeaker came to life and a single voice emanated throughout the stadium. "Because this is the 13th SOLDIER unit 'Ragnarok'." that single statement made everyone gasp in surprise. "Judging by your astonished expressions you know exactly what that means. Ragnarok is widely considered to be the strongest SOLDIER unit on top of all being 1st classes. If you wish to become Firsts, and serve the president here in Deepground then you must prove yourselves better than this rumored powerhouse of a unit."

"This is insanity..." Carlyle hissed through gritted teeth before sinking back into his spot in defeat. "Insanity..."

Suddenly the gate at the other end of the arena rose once more as it had twice already and out stepped a man, another member of unit 13. Taking his blade from where it stay upon his back he twirled it about the air thrice before yelling a war cry into the air. "I am Sergeant Baldor Gandovrich of SOLDIER unit 13! Bring down you best warrior unit 14, or you may find yourself in a world of shit!"

A grimace upon his visage, Carlyle again rose from his place and shouted across the length of the arena. "We are in a world of shit! Velcious get out there!" Carlyle commanded as Auron swiftly rose from his seat and leaped into the arena taking a moment to turn around and salute the Captain.

"I won't let you down Cap!" Auron said as he brandished his weapon and bowed toward his opponent before taking up a ready stance. "Sergeant Auron Velcious of SOLDIER unit 14! I come to prove myself worthy of the title of 1st, so may fortune smile upon he who is worthy of us."

"Well said, but of course that will be me." the man called Baldor said as the two suddenly clashed swords each smiling in the delight of battle.

The two broke off from their momentary engagement, and Baldor threw a series of three Fire spells Auron's way. As he was trained Auron quickly cast off a Shell spell and warded off the magic as the spell exploded into a cloud of dust and ash in the air. Using the smoke as cover Auron took a startling leap into the air throwing his own Thunder spell at his surprised opponent. Baldor was lucky enough to dodge the spell before it struck. Suddenly the ground beneath him shivered and stirred before a mass of earth and rock quickly jutted from the ground and launched him into the air on command of Auron's readied Quake spell. With a shout the two met blades as the spell propelled Baldor toward the still airborne Auron. Exchanging a rapid succession of midair blows the two finally met the ground with a thud of boots.

"It seems like _everyone_ has grown haven't they?" Jake said to his mentor as they both nervously sat gazing at the ensuing battle.

"Yes they have..." Carlyle whispered a bit of pride lacing his voice as he sat anxiously spectating the battle his leg bouncing up and down in rhythm.

Auron, after a few minutes finally, seemed to gain the upper-hand in the engagement after he launched his own Fire spell at the ground beneath Baldor. Once more using the billowing smoke as cover he used a burst of strength and sped through the cloud of dust. There was a scream of pain and Auron passed the other side of the dust his blade brandished and dripping of blood. When the dust finally settled Baldor was lying face down upon the floor a pool of blood already fanning out upon the soil. A sudden burst of applause broke from the stands as everyone congratulated the seemingly victorious Auron.

"I won Cap! Told you I wouldn't let you down!" Auron proudly announced as he waved his blood caked sword in the air. For whatever reason though Carlyle only wore a look of disgruntlement and panic which confused the prideful warrior. For whatever reason his ringing ears couldn't pick up the sound that was escaping his captain's mouth, but he did however pick up on the movement of lips that seemed to be forming two consecutive words that spelled disaster... 'Behind you!' Auron quickly spun about only for his chest to meet the cold steel of a sword's edge. Blood spilled to the floor and Auron heaved one raspy breath before collapsing upon the ground in instant death.

"Maybe next time you'll check to see if your opponent truly is dead or not." Baldor expressionlessly said to Auron's unmoving body. "Oops sorry... there won't be a next time."

"Unfortunately it seems Sergeant Auron Velcious has not passed his test. A sad day for us all..." the loud speaker said in false sympathy. "Each unit send your next fighters!"

There was a roar of anger from the stands as unit 14 stood from there seats in shock and dismay. Carlyle simply sat in a daze of emotion. "It's my fault... I sent him in there..." Carlyle muttered under his breath. Jake looked over to Carlyle, having heard him, as tears streaked down both their faces.

…

"Cameron and Osiris went after, having passed both there tests..." Jake said still staring at that same spot upon the wall. "Then Malik and Marcus went off to their deaths... it was horrible... so much blood." Jake then took a large gulp of his tea and set it back down. With a sigh he continued. "Next thing I know it's my turn, the last one to go up... Imagine my surprise when I stood victorious over the body of a comrade- a fellow SOLDIER... I could simply stare at the head of this man after I severed it from its shoulders... Killing in general changes a man... but killing someone whom is supposed to be on the same side as you... some- someone that you trained with and ate next to back in cadet training everyday... that- that is an entirely different ball game..."

…

"And the winner is Sergeant Jake Verne! Congratulations! You are now officially inducted into 1st class!" the voice of the loud speaker announced all cozy and warm away from the bloodshed. Jake felt no happiness, and strangely he felt no remorse either. He simply felt nothing, only stared into the eyes of the severed head at his feet, he even swore he saw the eyes blink a few times before they glazed over. He looked about, to the gore covered bodies of the members of unit 13 again feeling nothing. He looked upon the bodies of his comrades, the disemboweled body of Malik and the beheaded form of Marcus. Taking it all in, the stench of blood, sweat and death... the eerie ringing against his eardrums... he suddenly felt the urge to scream. So he threw his head back and did just that- only, instead a chuckle spilled out of his mouth and for a good minute or so he stood there among the bodies simply cackling away in his inexplicable mirth. Then all within the same second his head dipped down and the laughs turned to wheezing gasps of air as he sobbed uncontrollably and the tears streamed down his bloody face.

Before he even knew it, he found himself buried into the chest of his mentor and Captain as the blond whispered mumblings of concern and assurance to him. Osiris and Cameron were also at his side wishing to comfort him. Only Attacus hanged back, his arms crossed with a look of impatience and uncaring. Suddenly the enemy gate rose once more and out came three soldiers in strange uniform, blue lines tracing the sides, their faces covered by heavy-duty helmets. Along with the strange soldiers, they escorted the three handcuffed unit 13 members that had won their respective battles against Auron, Malik and Marcus.

"Unit 14 has more members of its group still standing after this battle and therefore proven themselves all worthy of the title of 1st class. All surviving members of unit 13 are hereby stripped of their title of 1st class, military ranks and any accompanying honorary titles and sentenced to death. Unit 14 take up your new title as the strongest unit in all of SOLDIER and execute these worthless swines that _dare_ call themselves SOLDIER." the voice gave its final directive.

"With pleasure..." Attacus said drawing his sword. "I'll make sure they suffer..." he walked over to the three men and slashed the ankle of the first, the one that killed Auron. That man, called Baldor howled in pain. Then he slashed at the man's shoulder drawing more blood. There was a sudden loud bang and all three of the death row prisoners fell limp each with gaping hole in their skull. Attacus stared at them in stupefaction before looking over to the origin of the sound. There Carlyle was with his oversized gunblade drawn, smoke trailing from the barrel. "You killed all three of them, yet it sounded like just one shot... how?"

"That's just how fast I am..." Carlyle said and with a grinding of metal the blade folded up and Carlyle re-holstered it. "If you're going to kill someone, don't make them suffer." Carlyle deadpanned before he led all of the unit back to the locker-room.

* * *

><p>A few days later the group had received a briefing on exactly what it was they were to be doing here in Deepground. They were to become the elite guards and gatekeepers of Deepground and become the trainers of the soldiers already there and the soldiers to come. They were to create the most powerful army imaginable- no <em>beyond<em> even imagination in the name of Shinra and progress. Carlyle called a personal meeting of the unit and luckily everyone, even Attacus showed up, all clad in their new 1st class uniforms.

"What's going to happen now?" Cameron asked as they met in the locker.

Ever since this bloodshed began Jake had been pondering exactly how to word what had been on his mind all the painstaking time. "Captain I can't do this..."

"I know its tough... it's tough on me too, on all of us..." Carlyle said though his eyes quickly raked over Attacus as if to say: _not on him though_.

"No Captain, I mean I _can't _do this." he re-articulated. "I want out of this unit... I want out of this life, I can't take it anymore... especially now that they say that this senseless bloodshed will continue... I know what war is, all bloodshed. It's what I signed up for but... this- this is all pointless. There is no cause for this! I can't even convince myself at night that I'm doing this for a just cause like I used to because... well there _is _no justice! And all so they can create 'the perfect army'!" Jake spat waving his arms about in a dramatic manner. "I'm done! I can't take it..." Jake expressed on the verge of tears.

Without a word Carlyle walked over to his nearby desk and fished for a stapled packet of papers. He quickly signed and read it over, doing the same with a few more papers before finally finishing with the mess. All the while everyone simply stood by and waited. "Wondering what this is?" he asked when he finished and held up the paper. "It's the paperwork discharging you on honorary leave." Jake's face suddenly lit up. "And this paper holds the demotion of Lieutenant Osiris Daynim."

There was a collective gasp among the unit, even Attacus gave a look of confusion. Osiris himself was shocked, but made no move to dispute Carlyle's authority. "From this day forth you will take over as Sergeant Major of unit 14 in Attacus Solaris' place." he said looking directly at Osiris as he handed Jake his discharge papers. "And _this_..." He announced holding up another form. "Is my own form of resignation as this unit's Captain. "There was an even larger gasp from the unit, Attacus' eyebrows knit closer in confusion and even the cool and collected Osiris looked ready to give protest.

"But Captain-" Cameron started before Carlyle held up his hand for silence.

"From here on out..." Carlyle began. "I Carlyle Ze'ev Strife, granted command of SOLDIER unit 14 at exactly 0730 hours on the thirteenth of May, 1990 the year of our Goddess... by his greatness, president Shinra- Do hereby relinquish that title and grant upon..." there was a silence so still one could here a pin drop. "...Attacus Solaris, this honorary, inviolable title and rank of Captain of SOLDIER unit 14."

Attacus' confusion morphed to pure delight as a smile spread over his face. "Finally decided to see things my way, eh?"

"As my final executive command as your leader I relinquish Jake Verne of his duty and discharge him- honorably, of all further service as Corporal of SOLDIER unit 14. I will personally escort Verne to the surface after the conclusion of this meeting." Jake gave a mumbled thank you as tears of happiness and also sorrow leaked from his eyes.

"What's going on?" Cameron demanded. "Why Solaris? Captain? This isn't right!"

Osiris, who to this very moment had yet to disagree with even a single decision Carlyle made whatsoever, spoke in Cameron's favor. "He's right Carlyle... Attacus is a loose cannon sir, he's not fit for this responsibility-"

"Shut it." Carlyle said. "I haven't completed the ceremony yet, therefore I am technically still your leader, and you will do as I say and make no move to disagree with any decisions I make as Captain, no matter how unethical or how you may disagree. That is the oath you made to me _remember_?" Carlyle yelled to his men, a side he rarely showed. "Going against a captain of SOLDIER is equivalent to betraying the president himself, so unless you both wish to be branded with the despicable name of, traitor, I suggest you maintain your peace."

Carlyle then shifted his eyes over to Attacus who was still smiling as he leaned against a pillar. "Solaris is, in fact, the best suited for the duty of Captain as we continue our mission in serving the President in Deepground. As your leader I am compromised by emotion and attachment... For the days ahead we must learn the rules of survival in this hell hole and all there is to raising an army... Attacus is best for this leadership role. We can all learn from his great model... Henceforth you will take command from Attacus as your Captain and unit leader and him alone. I demote myself to the rank of Lieutenant in Osiris' place."

"Now... Attacus Solaris, future Captain of SOLDIER unit 14- do you accept this hallowed title and all the power and responsibility that comes with said rank?"

"Affirmative." Attacus said as he pushed off the pillar and walked up to Carlyle.

"Do you promise to be a fair and just leader, and to make all your decisions with all loyalty and benefit of Shinra in mind?"

"Affirmative." Attacus stated a sly grin still alight on his features.

Then turning to Osiris and Cameron. "And do you, members of unit 14 promise, unless it treads upon our mission of serving Shinra and SOLDIER, to abide by and obey all commands handed down by your unit leader no matter how unethical or how you may disagree?" the two said a hesitant and mumbled 'Affirmative'. "I can't hear you!" Carlyle exclaimed, at which the two gave a collective and loud affirmative. "Good..." Carlyle then took a ceremonial knife from off the table, unsheathed it and walked over to Attacus. It was a Materia infused blade that with little effort on Carlyle's part began to glow a bright red. He grabbed Attacus' bare left arm and lowered the knife to where his shoulder met his bicep and slowly and carefully sunk the blade into skin and made a small crescent-like mark on his skin. "Then I hereby proclaim thee: official leader of SOLDIER unit 14 in the name of Shinra... And since there can only be one leader, I relinquish my own title... It is done..."

"Then as my first act as your Captain..." Attacus began with a Cheshire grin "I demote Lieutenant Carlyle Strife to rank of Corporal, the lowest allowed in a unit such as this. If it was within my power I would strip you of that 1st class uniform, make you a Private again and stick you back in 3rd class. Better yet, send you packing altogether."

"Then let us be thankful that it is _not_ within your power to do so. That power still resides with the Director." Carlyle said with pursed lips.

"Osiris you are hereby my Lieutenant, but only because the rules say a Captain needs a Lieutenant and I dislike you the least comparatively of you three." he said with vindication indicating Osiris, Carlyle and Cameron. "And you Cameron... I never liked you... I demote you to Corporal as well... Now you! Go take that sorry excuse for a an Ex-SOLDIER up top already." Attacus spat, indicating Carlyle and Jake. "We will now be known as the 'Restrictors', and our purpose: to craft the greatest army this world will ever know!"

…

"So that man Attacus became the leader of the Restrictors, huh?" Reeve said at the end of the man's story to which he nodded.

"So he was the bastard that Weiss killed..." Rosso purred.

Jake looked up at the woman in shock. "How did you know Weiss killed Attacus?"

"Because I am in fact a Tsviet. I was there at the time of his death." Rosso proudly stated with a smirk of slight narcissism. "Rosso the Crimson at your service."

Jake gasped. "So then you're that girl! The one Carlyle said he met when she was young! He said he personally trained her whenever he found the chance."

Hearing that Cloud looked over to Rosso with a questioning glance. _She said she didn't know him... So __did she lie, or has she honestly forgotten__?_

"I don't know what you are talking about... I was never trained by any Carlyle. I survived in that hell hole on my own whim and mine alone, whatever you heard otherwise is clearly a lie!" Rosso said bluntly her pride seemingly at stake.

"But you have to be! Did you forget how he helped you, clothed you, fed you when all of Deepground treated you like crap? He took you in as his own personal protege and trained you in secret so you could grow powerful, prolong your life and hopefully garner your help in ending Shinra. How could you forget his sacrifice?" Jake's voice steadily rose and his facial expression gradually intensified. "Why didn't you save him? He gave so much for you and you did nothing as the other Tsviets took his life! How could you just throw him away like that and then forget him like he never existed?" Jake said rising from his seat. In a flash Cloud was at his side holding a hand to his shoulder trying to calm him.

"As I told you, I knew no Carlyle. And even if I did, he was a Restrictor, my enemy..." Rosso said when suddenly hint of familiarity twinkled in her eyes. "Now that I think on it I remember a blond man in Deepground... a Restrictor who hated wearing that mask unlike the one called Attacus Solaris... A man of blond hair and sky-blue eyes..."

"Yes that sounds like him." Jake said with enthusiasm hoping Rosso remembered something. "What else do you remember? Please tell me!"

"I remember him... I remember that I killed him." Rosso said, a smile spreading across her face. She then broke out in manic laughter. "That's right! I killed him! I killed that all powerful man you loved so much! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"You bitch!" Jake yelled at the top of his lungs as he dove over the table and his hands grasped around her neck. And all the while, even as this Ex-SOLDIER 1st class crushed her windpipe, she still lay beneath him somehow still cackling away.

* * *

><p><span>POV: ?<span>

A sphere of energy, deep below the dilapidated, destroyed city of Midgar shone brightly as it floated marvelously above the waters of a dark moist cavern. A patch of land in the middle of the waters held upon it a shirtless, muscular, silvery haired, unconscious man. Two gunblades of a katana variant sat stabbed into the ground like mark of magnificence. A sudden rush of energy rushed out and enveloped the sphere in a bright white light and a multitude of crackling electric-like tendrils of energy.

**Come hero of the dawn... You must awake now... The world is in danger and in need of your help oh warrior... Awaken...**

The ball shone a burning bright red before a glowing bluish-white light danced from the depths of the ball. With a final brilliant burst the ball exploded and dissipated. Seeming to have been locked away in its confines, a single man dropped down from where the ball previously sat. The auburn haired man rose to his feet, his long crimson leather trench-coat billowing with the movement. With a momentary glance at his surroundings he stepped forward from his patch of land, inexplicably walking atop the water as if it was naught but solid ground. With each step the water transfigured to a blackened color until he finally reached the silver haired man. Reaching the man's side he took a moment to gaze upon him before stooping low and cradling the man into his arms. As he lifted him to his chest he set his gaze to the moon seated above him as the clouds rolled across.

"It is not yet time for slumber..." the man spoke to the air. "We still have much work to do... my brother." the clouds passed by the moon once more and its light shone eerily upon the two and the man's eyes shone a brilliant bluish-green possible only by Mako infusion. The shuffling of clothing could be heard as a sudden giant jet black wing extended from his left shoulder blade. With a burst the wing swung down in a a wide arc and the auburn-head man was launched into the air along with the passenger snug in his arms. Circling the area once, the man tore off with a burst of speed like a demon from the bowels of hell.

* * *

><p><span>POV: ?<span>

In the middle of an endless field of green stood a man with pure snow-white hair. His skin shone an eerie pale blue that looked as if his entire body were suffering from cyanosis or something of its likening. The air roared with the cry of thunder as lightning flashed across the blackened sky, and the rain swept across the plains and mingled with the splatter of blood across the tall blades of grass. Another flash of lightning danced across the sky and lit the man's luminous golden yellow eyes which shone like the sun. He looked upon the kill before him, a mutated beast of some type of dragon lay but a few yards away. From head to toe it was at least ten times as large as a Nibel Dragon or _any_ known specie for that matter. The man scrunched his nose as the smell of the scorched carcass wafted in the air, it didn't seem to help that his senses were more attuned than any human's.

"Well that's over..." he said to no one in particular. "Never seen a beast like this before... Caught me off guard as well. If I hadn't used _that_ I'd be in deeper shit than a Cockatrice during open season..." There came a sudden buzzing in the back of his skull that made his skin tingle and a grin widen upon his lips. His eyes almost seemed to glow brighter as he drew his head to the sky and allowed the sky's tears to sprinkle upon his visage.

It seems like _he's_ on the move...

Everyone's beginning to awaken now...

I wonder what's going to happen...?

And will you be ready for what's to come...?

Strife...


End file.
